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. X)''53 




NEW YORK 



ARDS AND SOFTS: 



•WHICH IS THE TRUE DEMOCRACY? 



BRIEF STATEMENT OF FACTS 

THE CONSIDERATION OF THE DEMOCEACT OF THE UNION, 

SHOWns-G THE ORIGIN AIs'D CAUSP: OF THE CONTIKUED 

"DIVISION OF THE PARTY." 

i^^y" • 

By A NATIONAL DEMOCRAT. 



JU^^ -0 iiJto |0rk: 



ASHW 



['KliVTOD AT THE DAILY NEWS JOB OFFICE, 

KO. 102 NASSAU-STREET, CORXER OF AXX-STREET. 



APRIL— 1858. 



<c 



NEW YORK HARDS AND SOFTS. 



CHAPTER!. 
From April, 1843— to March, 1845. 

Democratic State Convention in 1843. The Delegation to the Baltimore Convention. 

Proceedings of the Baltimore Convention. Dissatisfaction of the Barnburners. The 

Democratic State Convention in 1844. The Secret Circular. The Presidential 

Struggle decided by New York. The Congressional Elections. The Legislature of 

1845. Election of United States Senators. Dickinson and Dix separate on the 

Texas Question. Election of State Officers. Appointment of Marcy to the Cabinet. 



lf3~The names of gentlemen who are now "Hiird" Delegates to tlie Cincinnati Convention are printed in Small Capitals, 
and those of gentlemen who are "Soft" Delegates are in lialics. 



The defeat of Van Buren and Johnson, by 
Harrison and Tyler, in 1840, was nowhere more 
lamented than in the State of New York, and a 
general desire for Van Buren's re-nomination 
prevailed in 1844. The division of Democrats 
into Hunkers and Barnburnei's, had indeed be- 
gun before the time for agitating the Presidency 
came on, and the question of Texas Annexation, 
which the Hunkers or National Democrats fa- 
vored, while the Barnburners or Freesoil Demo- 
crats opposed it, made the division broader and 
deeper. Still the Van Buren influence was all- 
powerful in New York state, and the only anti- 
Van Buren movements of any influence took 
place in New York city. 

A caucus of Democratic members of the Le- 
gislature, held on the 17th April, 1843, called a 
Democratic State Convention, to meet on the 
second Friday of September of that year. Wil- 
liam L. Marcy, then Hunker, was elected Pre- 
sident of the Convention, over Sam Young, 
Barnburner. The Convention almost unani- 
mously decided in favor of choosing delegates to 
the Presidential Convention directly, instead of 
leaving the election to the Congressional dis- 
tricts. It accordingly appointed a delegation, 
among the members of which were many gen- 
tlemen since distinguished in partisan warfare ; 
as Daniel S. Dickinson, Job Piersox, Orville 
Hungerford, Moses D. Burnett, Thomas B. 
Mitchell, Henry K. Smith, &c., known as 
Hunkers ; and Sam Young, Churchill C. Cam- 
breleug, John Fine, Horatio Ballard, Albert 



Lester, John T. Hudson, Benjamin F. Butler, 
Sandford E. Church, already reckoned as Barn- 
burners. 

It was evident that the Texas question was to 
be the great issue upon which the Baltimore 
Convention would divide, and it was with regret 
that the Hunker or National section saw the ap 
pearance of Mr. Van Buren's letter in opposi- 
tion to annexation. All, however, continued to 
advocate the re-nomination of Mr. Van Buren, 
as indeed the delegation from this State was in- 
structed to do at Baltimore. 

The Democratic Presidential Convention met 
at Baltimore on the 27th of May. HendrickB. 
"Wright, then the Speaker of the Pennsylvania 
Assembly, presided, Sam Young was the Vice- 
President, and Thomas B. Mitchell the Secre- 
tary, from the State of New York. The cele- 
brated two-thirds rule was advocated by Romu- 
lus M. Saunders, of North Carolina, Robert 
J. Walker, of Mississippi, B. H. Brewster, of 
Pennsylvania, and Robert Rautoul, Jr., of Mas- 
sachusetts ; and opposed by Benjamin F. Butler 
and Daniel S. Dickinson, of New York. Mr. 
Butler proclaimed that the adoption of this rule 
would clearly defeat Mr. Van Buren. INIr. Dick- 
inson's argument was also made distinctly for 
Mr. Van Buren's re-nomination, he claiming 
that the annexation of Texas was a Democratic 
principle, and that Mr. Van Buren, if nomina- 
ted on a Texas platform, would not undertake to 
resist the will of his party. Col. Medary, of 
Ohio, also spoke agamst tlio rule. 



4 



Tlio two-third rule was, however, adopted by 
148 affirmative, to 116 negative votes. The 36 
votes of New York, and the votes of Ohio were 
cast iu the negative. Michigan, Elinois, and 
other Cass states voted iu the affirmative. On 
the first ballot Mr. Van Buren had 146 votes, 
Cass 83, Buchanan 4 ; on the seventh ballot Yan 
Buren had 99, Cass 123, Buchanan 22, and 
Johnson 21. John K. Miller, of Ohio, then 
moved that Mr. Van Buren be declared the can- 
didate. The chair ruled the motion out of or- 
der. Messrs. Miller and McNulty, of Ohio, ap- 
pealed from the decision, and the Convention 
adjourned for the day in great confusion. 

Next morning the appeal was withdrawn. 
The name of Col. Johnson was withdrawn as a 
candidate : Governor Hubbard, of New Hamp- 
shire, brought forward the name of James K. 
Polk, and he received 44 votes on the first bal- 
lot. Van Buren received 104, Cass 114, Bucha- 
nan 2. A difficulty then occurred among the 
Pennsylvania delegates as to whether they 
should adhere to Mr. Van Buren. Mr. Butler 
asked leave that the New York delegation re- 
tire, but Col. Sam Young immediately took the 
floor and denounced the Texas annexation 
scheme, which he said had been thrown into the 
Democratic camp as a fire-brand, by the Nero 
of the present administration, who was capable 
of fiddling while Rome was burning. He con- 
tinued severely to attack Mr. Calhoun, the Se- 
cretary of State, charging that the South had 
raised a storm in this matter of Texas annexa- 
tion, and promising that it should reap the 
whirlwind. Two years later, this language was 
recalled to the memory of, those who heard it. 
Mr. Cohen, of Georgia, who had voted for Mr. 
Calhoun, replied, angrily, and much excitement 
ensued. The New York delegation retired, and 
was absent a long time. It was rumoi-ed that 
some of the more ultra Barnburners from New 
York and Ohio proposed to leave the Convention, 
but that the Hunker delegates refused, and this 
rumor obtained credit generally at the time. 
During this consultation, Mr. Butler produced 
and read to his colleagues a letter from Mr. Van 
Buren, authorizing the withdrawal of his name, 
in their discretion. A motion that Mr. Van 
Buren's name be withdrawn from before the 
Convention, and the vote of the State cast for 
Mr. Polk, then received the assent of all the mem- 
bers of the delegation, except Col. Young, and 
ths deleeation returned to the Convention. 



Mr. Butler stated the coutL-nus of the letter to 
the Convention, and, as authorized by it, with- 
drew the name of Mr. Van Buren. Mr. Dick- 
inson then rose to state that he was permitted to 
cast the vote of the State of New York, thirty- 
five, for James K. Polk, and one (Col. Young's) 
blank. The States which had till then adhered 
to other candidates, then re-considered, and the 
final vote was announced — for Polk, 233 ; Cass, 
29 ; Van Buren, 3, one from New York, and 
two from Ohio ; AEr. Morton, of Massachusetts, 
voting a blank. Total, 266 votes — South Caro- 
lina not being represented. 

The nomination for the Vice-Presidency was 
then tendered to Silas Wright, but the electric 
telegraph having just been completed between 
Baltimore and Washington, Mr. Wright was 
enabled to send his prompt refusal over the 
wires. The nomination of George M. Dallaa 
was then made unanimously, the Baltimore plat- 
form adopted, and the Convention adjourned. 

With the nomination of Polk and Dallas, and 
the resolution favoring annexation passed by 
this Convention, began that intestine war, 
which thenceforth raged in the ranks of the De- 
mocratic party of New York. The confidential 
friends of Mr. Van Buren and the Barnburner 
leaders generally, returned home, not attempting 
to conceal theii- dissatisfaction. At a ratifica- 
tion meeting held in the Park in New York, 
however, a letter of acquiescence from Mr. Van 
Buren was read byGansevoort Melville, which, 
in spite of rumors of the reluctance with which it 
was given, quieted the feeling in some measure ; 
and the nomination of Clay and Frelinghuysen, 
by the Whigs, to all appearance closed up the 
Democratic ranks. 

The Barnburner section of the party looked 
to Silas Wright as a candidate for Governor. 
The Hunkers acquiesced, because his name 
would strengthen the Presidential ticket, and at 
the same time remove an anti-annexationist 
from the United States Senate ; and because 
Governor Bouck was known not to desire a re- 
nomination. Mr. Wright hesitated, but Mr. 
Van Buren's advice determined his acceptance, 
and on the 4th September the Democratic State 
Convention nominated Silas Wright for Go- 
vernor and Addison Gardiner for Lieutenant- 
Governor. — Both Barnburners An Electoral 
ticket was also nominated, and among the Elec- 
tors we find the names of Daniel S. Dickinson, 
Hiigh Halsey, Eufus H. Smith, Robert H. 



rfbanldand, &c., Hunkers ; and of Benjamin F. 
Butler, William F. Ilavemeyer, Jonathan I. 
Ooddington, &c., Barnl)uruei's. Among the de- 
legates to this State Convention were Ausbuen' 
BiKDSALL, of Broomo, D. D. Akin, of Dutchess, 
Edmond Driggs, of Kings, Saxfohd C. Paeker, 
of Onondaga, AECniBAto 6. Nivex, of Sul- 
livan, George W. Cuylor, of Wayne, &c., Hunk- 
ers; and Siinean B. Jnvdt, of Monroe. Wm. Van- 
dervooji, of Niagara, William C. Dryer, of Onta- 
rio, Jo!m L. RusisU, of St. Lawrence, &c., 
Barnburners. An able address was issued. 

During the campaign of this yoar, an acci- 
cidental disco-\-ery was made of a secret circu- 
lar, signed by John Vf. Edmonds, David D. 
Field, Thomas V.^ Tucker, William C. Bryant, 
Theodore Sedgwick, and George P. Barker, 
addressed to friends of Mr. Van Buren through- 
out the State, and inviting their exertions in 
aid of the selection a? Congressional candidates by 
tlie Democratic Conventions of their respective 
district^!, of men who would oppose the annexa- 
tion policy. This circular came to light by the 
timely exposure made by a clerk of G-en. A. C. 
Nivex. The discovery of these secret circulars 
created much feeling among the Hunkers, and 
they were proportionately strengthened hy it. 
The cry for the annexation of Texas was now 
taken up boldly, and Mr. Dickinson " stumped 
the State" upon that issue. 

The election resulted in ':a"=;ting the vote of the 
State for Polk and Dallas, and New York once 
more elected the President of the United States. 
The Democratic State ticket wais elected. A 
large majority of the Congressional delegation 
were Democrats, among them John F. Collin, 
William J. Hough, Orvillc Hungcrford, Archi- 
bald C. Nivex, gmd Stephen Stroxg, Hunkers; 
and Charles S. Benton, Martin Grover, Preston 
King, George Bathbun, Horace Wheaton, and 
Bradford Pi. Wood, Barnburners. Both in the 
Senate and Assembly the Legislature of 1845 
was heavily Democratic, and the majority of the 
Democratic caucas was Hunker. Among the 
Hunker Senators were Thomas B. Mitchell, 
Orville Clare, Calvin T. Chamberlain and 
Clark Buruham ; and among the Barnburners, 
John P. Bedrnan, Augustus C. Hand, and Ro- 
bert Denniston. Hwatio Seijrnmvr,, then a 
Hunker, was Speaker of the Assembly, and 
among the Hunker members was Lysander H. 
• Br.owx, of JefTcrson, while the Barnburners 



reckon&d Willictn C. Cram, of Herkimer, Den 
nis McCarthy, of Onondaga, and John L. Rus- 
sell, of St. La wren 00. 

The resignation of his seat in the Senate l>y 
Mr. Wright, lof-L a vacancy for the tei-m which 
would expire on the 4th of March, 1849. Se- 
nator Tallmadge had also resigned ; bis term 
would expire in 1845. Gov. Bouck, on the 30th 
November, 1844, appointed Daniel S. Dickinson 
and Henry A. Foster, Ijoth Hunkers, to fill those 
vacancies until the meeting of the Legislature. 
In January, 1845, the Legislature went into a 
ballot to fill the unexjiired term of Mr. Wright, 
and Gen. John A. Di\, Barnburner, was 
chosen. Daniel S. Dickinson was then chosen for 
the full term of six years, from the fourth of 
March ensuing. This wa^ considered a Hunker 
triumph, but the votes of the Barnburner mi- 
nority being needed to elect, it was impossible to 
carry through two Hunk^'r and Texas Senators. 
Mr. Dickinson's vote was recorded in the U. S. 
Senate, this winter, in favor of the resplutions of 
annexation sent up from th.e House, and after llic 
amendment of Mr. Benton, authorizing annexa- 
tion by treaty, had been added, Mv. Dix also 
voted for the amended bill, along with Sena- 
tors Niles, Bagby, Benton, Allen, and Hayward. 
The Hunker majority in Legislative caucus 
succeeded in nominating Nathaniel S. Benton, 
for Secretary of State, over Sam Young ; and 
Benjamin Enos, for Treasurer, over Thomas Fa r- 
rington ; but enough Soft Hunkers went over to 
the Barnburner side to secure the re-norai nation 
of Azariah C. Flagg for Comptroller, and of 
John Van Buren for Attorney General, llio 
Democratic caucus candidates for Stato Officci-.i 
were all elected. 

A considerable interest was felt relative to 
the Cabinet of Mr. Polk. The Hunkers put 
forward Mr. Marcy, and the Barnburners desired 
Mr. Flagg or Mr. Hoffman to take a Cabinet 
seat. After much negotiation, the post of Se- 
cretary of War was oifored to !Mr. 3iarcy, who 
although at first determined to decline, (liaviug 
desired and expected to bo made Secretary of 
State,) at last accepted it. ' The resolutions of 
annexation having been forwarded by jMr. Ty- 
ler to the government of Texas, almost at the last 
moment of his administration, it was quite proba- 
ble that a war with Mexico was at hand, in which 
contingency the Department of War could scarce- 
ly be considered a second place in tho Cabinet. 



("CHAPTER ! r . 

1'''rom Maroh, 1845 — ro Novembkk. 1840. 

Appoi.n'tmknts to Fodoral atid State OfEces. Triumj)!! of Barnburners in Legislative Elec- 
tions. Tlie State Printing'. Wilnmot Proviso Resolutions in the Legislature. 

Constitutional Convention. Re-noniination of Silas Wright. 



- '-'^VS,'«#^#S#S^ s#~ A^-^s/S^ • 



Thk appointments to office within this State, 
uiade by Mr. Polk, were as equally divided as 
possible between the sections. Cornelius W. 
Lawrence was Collector at New York ; Roljort 
H. Morris, Post Master ; G eorge W. Clixtox. 
District Attorney of the Northern District ; and 
Henry W. Rogers, Collector at BuSiilo. These 
were the principal offices given to the Hunkers. 
Of the Barnburners, Benjamin F. Butler was 
made U. S. District Attorney for Southern 
New York ; Gen. Gould, 11. S.^Mar.shal of the 
Xorthern District ; Michael Hoffinan, Naval 
Officer, &c. While Mr. Marcy was consenting 
to, if not advising, this division of federal pa- 
tronage between the sections, Governor Wright, 
>m the contrary, held to the strict rule of favor- 
ing his own friends only. With him, Barnburn- 
orism was a jire-requisite to appointment to 
office. The result of these two systems was seen 
iu the defeat of the Hunkers and the triumph of 
the Barnburners in the ensuing year, by the 
superior compactness of the latter. 

In the session of 184."), the '• People's Reso- 
lutions," imbodying the Barnl^urner proposi- 
tions for amending the State Constitution, were 
rejected in the Legislatmre, but other amend- 
ments were passed which had been initiated at 
the previous session, abrogating property quali- 
fications for office, and amending 'the Consti- 
tution with i-egard to the removal of Judi- 
cial officers. These, were adopted at a special 
election by a vote of 115,000 ayes, to 
4,000 noes. 1'he Legislative session was ex- 
tended into the middle of May, and party 
feeling be! wotni the Hunkers and Barnburners 
ran high. 

The Hunkers having favored Texas annexa- 
tion, were attacked as the authors of the war 
with Mexico, and were badly beaten in the Fall 
elections of 1845. Both houses of the Legisla- 
ture were still strongly Democratic at the opt^n- 
Ing of the session of 1846, but the Democratic 
</aucus was still more strongly Barnburner. The 



caucus candidate for Speaker was William C. 
Crain ; and George T. Pierce and Samuel J. 
Tilden, Barnburners, were among the leaders of 
the Assembly. In the Senate Thomas J. Whee- 
ler and Edward Sanford had come to re-enforce 
the Hunkers, and the Barnburners had added to 
their ranks Sam Young and Saxton Smith. 

The Democratic caucus nominated William 
Cassidy, of the Albany Atlas, Barnlnu-ner, for 
State Printer, in the place of Edwin ('roswell, 
of the Argus, Hunker. A bill to abolish the 
offi':'e of State Printer, and to provide instead 
for designating a State Paper by contract with 
the low^est bidder, passed, however, and E. and 
S. Croswell, of the Argus, being the lowest 
bidders, were awarded the contract, so that the 
Argus remained the State Paper, much to the dis- 
satisfaction of the Barnburners. 

The Legislature of 1846 passed " Wilraol 
Proviso" resolutions, by the combined votes of 
the Barnburners and Whigs, aided by some 
Soft Hunker votes. 

The Whigs and Barnburners also united in 
the passage of a bill calling a Convention to re- 
vise the State Constitution, most of the Hunk- 
ers opposing it from fear that provisions would 
be introduced in a new Constitution which 
would embarrass the completion of the State 
Canals. 

The Barnburner majority in caucus nomina- 
ted Thomas Farrington, Barnburner, for Trea- 
surer, over Mr. Enos, Hunker, and elected him. 
Some other minor changes were made ; Hunk- 
ers being ousted and Barnburners substituted. 

The Constitutional Convention met at Alba- 
ny on the lat June, 1846. The Democrats had 
a majority of the members and the Barnburnei's 
a majority of the Democratic caucus. Among 
the prominent members of the Convention were 
William C. Bouck, C. T. Chamberlaix, D. R. 
F. Jones, R. H. Morris, Hexry C. Muri'Hv, 
Charles O'Coxor, A. F. Vache, and Aarox ■ 
Ward, Hunkei's; and C. C. Cambreleng, Michael 



Hoffman, John A. Kennedy, jirphaxad Loomip. 
and Lemuel Stetson, Barnburners. The Con- 
vention made " radical" changes in our funda- 
mental law. The main contest between the 
sections of the Democratic party was in relation 
to the Canals. The Barnburners finally carried 
their point. The seventh Article of the Consti- 
tution charges upon the Canal revenues heavy 
appropriations for the payment of the State 
debts and current expenses, and after exhaust- 
ing these revenues, devotes the remainder of 
them to Canal enlargement and completion ! It 
also forbade the creation of debt, unless by co- 
temporaneous imposition of a direct annusil tax. 
The Constitution was completed on the 10th 
October, and an address put forth by the Con- 
vention, claiming that it " made provision for the 
whole State debt, and the completion of the 
public works begim." It was voted on at the 
election in Xovember, not having been generally 
discussed ffora lack of time by the people, and 
was adopted by a large majority. 

The Democratip »State Convention met at Sy- 
racuse on the 1st October, and re-nominated 
Silas Wright for Governor, and Addison Gar- 
diner for Lieutenant. The Hunkers opposed 
the re-nomination, but were beaten in Conven- 
tion. The " War for the extension of Slavery" 
was charged upon them, and the new Con- 
stitution added to the strength and prestige of 
the Barnburners. 



Among tlie member? of this Convention wo 
find Jesse Angel, of Alleghany, Joseph R. Flan- 
ders, of Franklin, Henry C. Murphy, of Kings. 
Moses D. Burnett, of Onondaga, John C. Ma- 
ther, of Rensselaer, and John Cramer, of Sara- 
toga, Hunkers ; • and Robert Denniston, of 
Orange, John Van Buren, of Albany, I. Y. 
\"anderpool, of Erie, Benjamin P. Angel, of Liv- 
ingston, Elijah F. Purdy, of New York, and 
Henry F. Jones, of Queens, among the Barn- 
burners. 

The proceedings of the Convention were rev 
ceived with great coldness by the Hunkers, and 
general dissatisfaction was exhibited by them. 
The Albany Argus, however, said of the no- 
mination : 

" The present able incumbents, Silas Wright, 
and Addison Gardiner, ha^e been re-nomiuated 
with much unanimity, and with the unanimous 
acquiescence of the Convention, as the Demo- 
cratic candidates for Governor and Lieutenant 
Governor. Whatever may have been the pre- 
ferences or opinions previous to a nomination, it 
is due to the validity of a Democratic conven- 
tion and to the Democratic interests, that it» should 
be sustained with united energies. While we 
claim for every Democrat the right freely to 
canvass the pretensions of candidates, and to en- 
tertain and avow his preferences before a nomi- 
nation, we hold also to the obligation to give the 
duly selected candidates of the piirty a cheerful 
and earnest support." 



CHAPTER Ml. 

From November, 1846— to Xovember. 1847. 

Defeat of Sihis Wright and Re-election of Gardiner. Congressional and Legislative Re- 
sults. Wilmot Proviso Resolutions in the Legislature. Opposition of the Hunkers 

to them. Democratic State Convention of May, 184T. Struggle for the September 

State Convention. Triumph of the Hunkers and Tabling of the Wilmot Proviso.;— — 

Secession of the Barnburners. Mass Cjonvention at Herkimer. 



SUas Wright was defeated by John Young, 
by 11,572 votes, while Addison Gardiner, quite 
as ultra a Barnburner, was re-elected over 
Hamilton Fish, by 13,357. Young and Gardi- 
ner were on the Anti-rent ticket, but it was 
supposed that the votes of some considerable 
number of Democrats must also have been 
witheld from Wright, to produce this result. 



Among the Democratic members of the nc.ri 
Congress elected were Ausburn Birdsali, an<l 
Henry C. Murphy, Hunkers, but most of the 
delegation and of the new State Senators were 
Whigs. In the Assembly there was a large 
Whig majority. 

Resolutions passed the Legislature by the 
united Whig and Barnburner vote, aiiproving 



8 



the " Wilniot ProTiso," and directing the Sena- 
tors in Congress to support it. Preston King's 
Proviso, identical with Wilmot's, came to a 
vote in the House of Representatives, and was 
opposed by Stephen Strong, who recorded his 
vote ag-ainst it, which opposition was charac- 
terized by the Albany Atlas as "an act of 
dieobedience. to tlie expressed will of the 
State." 

A Democratic State Judicial Convention was 
hdd at Syracuse, May 19th, to nominate four 
Jo(3j,'es and Clerk of the Court of Appeals. 
Among its membci-s were Elisha B. Smith, of 
Chenango, Winslow C. Watson, of Essex, David 
C. Broderick and Daniel B, Taylor, of New 
York, Delos DeWolf, (then) of Oneida, James 
E. Cooley, of Richmond, Hiram Walden,of Scho- 
harie, and George AV. Cuyler, of Wayne, Hunkers; 
Horatio Ballard, of Cortland, A. Loomis and 
Wm. C, Grain, of Herkimer, Simeon B. Jewctt, 
of Monroe, William C. Dryer, of Ontario, &c.. 
Barnburners. The Barnburners were in a small 
majority. Greene C. Broxson and Charles H. 
Buggies, Hunkers, and Addison Gardiner and 
Freeborn G. Jewett, (brother of Simeon B. 
Jewctt,) Barnburners, were nominated for Judges, 
and Charles S. Benton, Barnburner, for Clerk. 
All were elected in June. 

On the 11th May, a Legislative caucus called 
a State Convention to meet at Syracuse on the 
29th of September, for the purjiose of nominat- 
ing State Officere, and transacting such other 
business as should come Ijefore the Convention. 
A great straggle took place between the Pro- 
viso Bamburnei'S on the one hand, and the Anti- 
Proviso Hunkers on the other, and party feeling 
reached an unpi-ecedented height. When the 
Convention met, ten seats were found to be con- 
teste<l. All the contestants voted on the organi- 
zation. The Hunkers triumphed, and Robert 
H, Morris was chosen Chairman. James C. 
Smith, of Wayne, Barnburner, then offered the 
following resolution : 

" ResolwA, That we adhere to idl the com- 

firomises of the Constitution, that we will main- 
ain with inflexible firmness all the reserved 
rights of tlie States, that we disclaim all right 
or wish to interfere with slavery in the several 
States, but we declare uncompromising hostility 
to the extension of slavery into free territory 
by any Act of the Xational government." 

Tliis was tabled on motion of James T. 
Bra^ly. Hunker, of New York, the oorainations 



not having been yet made. These being com- 
pleted, the regular resolntions were reported. 
David Dudley Field, of New York, Barnburner, 
then moved Mr. Smith's resolution as an amend- 
ment to the reported resolutions. A point of 
order was raised, and decided well taken, that 
the resolution of Mr. Smith being tabled could 
not be brought before the Convention without a 
direct vote on taking it oflf the table. 

Mr. Field then offered the following resolu- 
tion — the famous " comer stone," as an amend- 
ment : 

" Resolved, That while the Democracy of New 
York, represented in this Convention, \Yill faith- 
fully adhere to all the compromises of the Con- 
stitution, and maintain all the reserved rights of. 
the States, they declare, since the crisis has 
arrived when that questicn must be met, their 
uncompromising hostility to the extension of 
slaverj' into territory now free, which may be 
hereafter acquired by any action of the govern- 
ment of the United States." 

Mr. Peckham, of Albany, Hunker, called 
the previous question, which was ordered and 
cut off Mr. Field's amendment. The address 
and resolutions as reported were then passed ; 
the Barnburner minority, cxept two, Messrs. 
Cagger and Cobb, refusing to vote. The entire 
body of the minority then seceded, and issued an 
address denouncing the tabling of the Proviso, 
and calling a ^Mass Convention to meet at Her- 
kimer on the 2Gth of October, " to avow their 
principles and consult as to future action." 

The Syi'acuse Convention before adjourning, 
appointed a new State Committee, and directed 
that the choice of delegates to the Baltimore 
Convention of May, 1S48, should be made by 
Congressional districts, the district delegates to 
meet and elect the two delegates at large. 

Among the leading Hunkers in this famous 
Convention were A. Birdsall, of Broome, Tho- 
mas A. Osborne, of Chautauque, Joseph R. Flan- 
ders, of Franklin,WiLLiAM Carlisle, of Jefferson, 
Samuel French, of Madison, Thomas B. Mit- 
chell, (then) of Montgomery, Stephen Strong, 
of Tioga, &c. Of the Barnburners who bolted 
there were Martin Grover, of Allegany, El- 
more P. Ross, of Cayuga, William C. Grain, of 
Herkimer, George JI. Purser and Wilson Small, 
of New York, William Vamlervoort, of Ni- 
agara, (fee. 

The Herkimer Convention met. C. C. Cam- 
breleng was Chairman, Samuel G. Johnson, ot 



9 



Kings, and John P. Beehnan, of Columbia, were 
Vice-Presidents. David Wilmot, of Pennsylva- 
nia, addressed the Convention by request. John 
Van Buren reported the address and resolutions. 
They gave their version of the " outrage" of 
resisting the Wilmot Proviso resolution, de- 
nounced the appointment of the Hunker dele- 
gates to Baltimore, and called for a State 
Convention to meet at Herkimer, February 
22d, 1848, to choose Barnburner delegates to 
contest their seats. The resolutions also declared 
against the admission of any additional slave- 
holding States into the Union, in these words : — 

" Resolved, That while we do not complain of 
the irregularity of representation between the 
citizens of the free and the citizens of the slave- 
holding States, by reason of which the citizen of 
the slavebolding South, who has five slaves, has 
a representation equivalent to four votes, while 
the citizen of the free North has but one, be- 
because such was the original Compact of 
Union, yet the freemen of New York will not 
consent to such an unequal division of their 
power, with conquered provinces." 

And in allusion to the resolutions passed by 



Democratic Conventions in certain slavebolding 

States, they 

" Resolved, Further, that the declared deter- 
mination of no inconsiderable portion of our 
fellow Democrats at the south, to refuse to go 
into a general Convention for the nomination of 
a candidate for the Presidency, except upon 
condition that the opposition to the exten- 
sion of slavery into new territories be abandon- 
ed, and to refuse their suffrages to candidates 
for office who do not concur in such extension, 
makes it necessary for the Democracy of New 
York to declare that, if such determination 
is persisted in and becomes general, they will 
be obliged to adopt a counter declaration, 
and proclaim their determination to vote for no 
man, under any circumstances, who does not 
subscribe to the preceding (the Corner Stone) 
resolution ; and we recommend our fellow Demo- 
crats to prepare for such an emergency." 

This Convention adopted an attitude of 
neutrality between the State ticket nominat- 
ed by the September Convention of Syracuse, 
and the Whig ticket. On the day of election 
the Barnburner papers talked of indifferent mat- 
ters. 



CHAPTER IV. 

From November, 1847 — to January, 1849. 

Defeat of the Democrats. Mr. Dickinson's Slavery Platform. State Convention at Al- 
bany, called by the Hunker State Committee. Nomination of an Electoral Ticket. 

State Convention at Utica, called by a Barnburner and Soft Caucus. Appointment of 

Freesoil Delegates. Election of Hunker Delegates by Districts. Procedings of the 

Baltimore Convention. Both Hunkers and Freesoilers Admitted. The Latter Bolt 

the Candidates. Mass Meeting of Freesoilers in New York. The Utica Convention 

of June. — —Letter of Martin Van Buren. His Nomination for President. The 

Hunker Delegates Recommend Cass and Butler. The Buffalo Convention, Platform, 

and Candidates. Hunker State Convention at Syracuse. Freesoil State Convention 

at Utica. Result of the Election. 



•'v*^s/^^>^.^>^^vN^/w- 



The Democratic ticket was in consequence 
overwhelmingly defeated. The State officers, 
the Senate, and Assembly — every thing was 
Whig. In the Assembly too, there were more 
" Freesoilers," (as the Barnburners now prefer- 
ed to call themselves,) than Hunkers. 

Congress met in December, and on the 13th 
of that month. Senator Dickinson took occasion 
to introduce resolutions upon the subject of 
annexation and the interference of Congress 
with slavery, in the following language : 
2 



" Resolved, That true policy requires the go- 
vernment of the United States to strengthen its 
political and commercial relations upon this 
continent, by the annexation of such contiguous 
territory as may conduce to that end, and can 
be justly obtained ; and that neither in such 
acquisition, nor in the territorial organization 
thereof, can any conditions be constitutionally 
imposed, or institutions be provided for or 
established, inconsistent with the right of the 
people thereof to form a free sovereign State, 
with the powers and privileges of the original 
members of the Confederacy. 



10 



" Resolved, That in organizing a Territorial go- 

■; .j'^&ranieut lor territories belonging to the United 

States, the principle of self-government upon 

which our federative system rests will be best 

.. pponioted, the true spirit and meaning of the 

,. Constitution observed, and the Confederacy 

. .strengthened, l)y leaving all questions concerning 

■ .Xhs don;je.stic policy therein, to the Legislatures 
!j chosen ,by the people thereof." 

•r/yiy- '•■ ■ 

-aobCtoi the 30th December, Gen. Cass addressed 

''■'i§''-Ai O. p. Nicholson his famous letter on the 

'slavery question, which maintains similar views. 

,, These .views were vehemently attacked by the 

; [Whig ;aud: Barnburner presses and orators, in 

■ ^ia.'fiiii out of the Legislature, and Cass and Dick- 
''inson Were flenoimced, ridiculed, and misrepre- 
' .se.ptgd.' fr.ojTti lone' end of the State to the other as 

^^;:^nemies of .freedom," " doughfaces," " slave- 
ocrats," *' betrayers of their constituents," &c. 

On the assembling of the Legislature, the 
!Freies'6il an(^ several' of the Soft Hunker mem- 
"'Bers'niet .in caucus, and called a State Conven- 
tiori'fo' meet at XTtica, on the 16th February, 
""184H, iii order to choose delegates to the Balti- 
more Convention. 

The Hunker State Committee called a State 
Convention to meet at Albany on the 26th Jan- 
uary,^1848. The Barnburners then abandoned 
their 22d of February Convention, and adopted 
the Legislative caucus call for the 16th February. 

The Hunker Conventioft' met at the capitol 
,oji the appointed day, and was called to order 
by Judge Thomas' A'. Osborne, of Chautauque. 
GTen'. Borland, of Orange, presided temporarily ; 

■ George W. Clinton, of Fri6, and Elisha B. 
'f5MiTH,'5f Chenango, were Secretaries pro tern. 
lAmang the- members of the convention were 

::Ga4Ki.Es W... FoMBEOY, of-.Gayiiga ; Joseph M. 
;Jiiyon,.-of.0.aeida; Frcderick; -F-ollett, of Gene- 
sep;; Joseph. SiBL,BY,:oC.M<>i?.Toe; Hiram Denio 
,9Jid..I),AViD,Mouj.TON, of Oneida.; Sanford G. 
Parker and Miles W. Bennett, of Onondaga ; 
David L. Seymour, of Rensselaer, &c. Judge 
Denio was elected President of the Convention, 
-Ma*;' Mc'V^ati, "of New' York, "reported the ad- 
;iatdS^;; The Convention was most eloquently ad- 
dfeg^ed by George W. Clinton, It passed re- 
.sohitions- in 'approval of the dioice of delegates 
K^Mchhad beeii made under thecal! of the State 
Cbiiyentlon" of September, 1847; and it ordered 
.tiiat.tliese. Relegates, chosen by districts, meet 
together at a place and time to be fixed by the 
■State Committee, to fill vacancies, and to choose 
t#6^eleg£tlfeg'at' large. V' ',-.'" jT*;'' "'"'^r 



A resolution was passed approving of the re- 
solutions ofivred by Mr. Dickinson in the U. S. 
Senate on the 12th December, 1847, " as recog- 
nizing the true principle of free government, and 
as harmonizing with the letter and spirit of our 
federal Constitution, and of his able and unan- 
swerable argument in the U. S. Senate, on the 
12th instant, in support of said resolutions." 

The Convention then appointed an Electoral 
ticket, resolving that the Electors, if elected " be 
and are hereby instructed to vote for the nomi- 
nees of the Democratic National Convention." 
Among these Electors were Hugh Halsey, of 
Suffolk ; Charles O'Conor and Francis B. 
Cutting, of New York ; D. D. Akin, of Dutch- 
ess ; Thomas B. Mitchell, of Montgomery, 
(now of Schenectady ;) Stephen Strong, of Ti- 
oga ; Samuel French, of Madison ; Miles W. 
Bennett, of Onondaga ; Horace Gay, of Mon- 
roe ; Ebenezer A. Lester, of Chautauque, &c., 
all " Hards" now. A committee on organization 
was appointed for each Congress district, among 
whom we find A. C. Niven, of Sullivan ; Ly- 
man Tremain, of Greene, (now of Albany ; Da- 
vid Hamilton, of Albany ; Joseph R. Flan- 
ders, of Franklin ; Erastus Evans, of Tioga ; 
Z. T. Bentley, of Madison ; George W. Cuyler, 
of Wayne ; R. A. Brundage, of Steuben ; C. T. 
Chamberlain, of Allegany ; Benj. Walworth, 
of Chautauque, &c. 

The Freesoil or Barnburner Convention met 
at Utica, February 16th. John Tracy presided. 
Among the members were John Van Buren, L. 
P. Wetherby, 0. C. Crocker, George Rathbun, 
Henry S. Randall, Isaac Sherman, James W. 
Nye, Simeon B. Jewett, Nelson J. Waterbury, 
Wilson Small, Charles A. Mann, Dennis McCar- 
thy, Preston King, John G. Floyd, &c. John 
Yan Buren reported an address. J. R. Doo- 
little reported resolutions reiterating the " Cor- 
ner Stone," eulogizing John A. Dix for his advo- 
cacy of the Proviso, and declaring that Thomas 
H. Benton, of Missouri, possesses their confi- 
dence, and has won a proud pre-eminence among 
the statesmen of the day." These were unani- 
mously agreed to. 

This Convention appointed thirty-six delegates 
and thirty-six alternates to go to Baltimore 
to contest the seats of the Hunkers : among them 
C. C. Cambreleng, Minthorne Tompkins, John 
A. Kennedy, Joh7i P. Beekman, Nicholas Hill, 
Jr., Piatt Potter, William C. Crain, Preston 
King, James W. Nye, James C. Smith, Mar- 



11 



tin Grover, Samuel E. Johnson, George H. 
Purser, Elijah F. Purdy, Mark Spencer, Peter 
Cagger, Arphaxad Loomis, Leander Babcock, 
William C. Dryer, Horatio Seymour, Jr., Dean 
Richmond, ^x. 

The Hunker delegates met in New York, 
filled 'vacancies and chose delegates at large. 
Both delegations thus proceeded to Baltimore. 

The Baltimore Convention assembled May 
22d, 1848, and at once appointed a committee 
of one delegate from each State, except New 
York, to report " who are entitled to seats in 
the Convention." This committee proceeded 
first to demand that both delegations from New 
York should pledge themselves to abide by the 
decision of the Convention, and agree to support, 
by all honorable means, the nominees of said 
Convention. The Hunker delegation assented 
to this and gave the requisite pledge. The 
Barnburners sent in a protest against the exac- 
tion of such a pledge, which would, said they, 
'' impeach the integrity of the representative, 
dishonor the State, and subject its delegates to 
a condition not imposed upon the delegates of 
any other State prior to their admission." 
Each delegation refused to sit along with the 
other in Convention, and the Barnburners claim- 
ed an unconditional admission or none. 

The committee, through Mr. Howard, of Ma- 
ryland, reported to the Convention a recommen- 
dation, that the Hunker delegates be admitted. 
Mr. Cambreleng then offered to tlie Convention 
the credentials of the Barnburner delegation. Mr. 
Toucey, of Connecticut, eloquently addressed the 
Convention in opposition to the imjjositiofl of a 
pledge. Mr. Yancey, of Alabama; followed' on the 
same side."' Mi-. Bartleft, ' of Ohio, offered an 
amendment to tlie' committee *s report, viz : f b ' 
admit both delegations from New York, to 
cast the vote oJf the State. Mr. Hibbat-d' 
offered a resolution, that each delegation be heard 
before the Convention. This was agreed to, and 
Darnel S. Dickinson and Henry A. Poster 
addressed the Convention on behalf of the Hunk- 
crsV and J. C Smith and Preston ^'ing, for 
the Preesoil Barnburners. Mr.' Strange, of 
North Carolina, and Mr. Bayley,' of Virginia, 
then spoke against the adniission of the Barn-' 
burners'. 

Mr. Turney, of Tennessee, was now permitted 
to make a minority report against the imposi- 
tioh of the test. The previous question was 
then called for, on Mr. Howard's report^ ordei-ed' 



and again reconsidered. Mr. Bartlett's substitute 
was finally adopted by a vote of 126 to 125, 
after being amended so as to admit both dele- 
gations, each to cast 36 votes, thus giving New 
York 72 votes! 

The next morning this was reconsidered, and 
the two delegations together authorized to cast 
the 36 votes of the State. As the two could agree 
on no candidate, and as neither would sit with 
the other, this was a virtual ejection of New 
York from the Convention, and passed by 130 
to 120. 

The Barnburners then announced they would 
retire and would oppose the candidates of the Con- 
vention. They retired accordingly. Mr. Hanne- 
gan, of Indiana, then moved that the Hunker 
or National delegation be admitted, which 
was agreed to ; but the Hunker delegates de- 
clined to vote, saying that the Convention had 
sought to degrade them to the level of Free- 
soilers, and that although they would support the 
nominees, whoever they might be, they would not 
participate in the proceedings of the Convention. 
The vote of New York, therefore, was never cast 
in the Convention. 

On the first ballot. Gen. Cass received 126 
votes to 128 for all others. On the fourth, Cass 
had 179, and all others 75 — 169 votes necessary 
to a choice under the two-third rule. Gen. But- 
ler was nominated for Vice-President. 

On the return of the Barnburner, or Free- 
soil delegation, a mass meeting for their recep- " 
tion was held in the Park in New York. At 
this meeting James Conner, Robert Kelly, and 
others were pfiScers. John Cochrane was Chair- 
man of tlie Committee on resolutions and re- 
ported a series, among which were the follow- 
ing, which were adopted : 

"Resolved, That the lash has resounded through 
the halls of the Capitol, and we are, therefore, 
prepared for the vote bn which' 'Northern Sen- • i 
ators' shall unite with their ' Southern brethren' •; ; 
in consigning an empire of free terr'itory to the . , 
dominion of the slaveholder; tha^t revolting as ; 
must be the ceremony which introduces by the' ' 
baptism of a ' Compromise,' 250,000 square- miles- '1 
of our newfy acquired possessions into the com-= 
munion of slavery, there needed to perfect its har-. ^ 
mohy but the presence aniongstthe sponsors of 

' a Dickinson and a Brlgliti of \vhom, if the latter 
in his recusancy to Indiana 'is recommended to 

■ her compassion by ■ the necessities which ■ con- ■ 

, stra,in , the possession pf slaves, the . former by . • 
' alnjost wishing to be born in Virginia,' iuspii'^a_ 

' in the 'br&asts of the millions, whom he niisreprij-"'"" 



12 



Edits and (lisbonoi-H, a jiroportionate desire for 
his translation to some more congenial clime. 

" Resolved, That we denounce, in advance, all 
projected compromises or surrenders of the vital 
principle of freedom, regardless of their origin, 
their object, or their extent ; that, in the antici- 
pated defection of the Senate, we place our re- 
liance on the other branch of Congress; but 
should the hope of favor, the fear of punishment, 
or the schemes of pohtical ambition, accomplish 
the enactment of a law for the extension of 
slavery over a single square mile of territory, 
now free, we hereby pledge ourselves immediately 
to enter on the task of its repeal, and unceasingly 
to labor for the accomplishment of this object." 

Letters were received from a number of dis- 
tinguished Freesoilers, and among the rest a 
letter of response was received from Franklin 
Pierce, of Concord, the contents of which, to 
this day, remain undivulged. Mr. Cochrane 
says he lost it, and that it was a mere excusa- 
tory letter. The New York Herald, per con- 
tra, insisted, in 1853, that this " Scarlet Letter," 
as it was termed, took Freesoil gi-ound, and 
that Mr. Cochrane still had it in his possession. 

An address to the people of the State was 
issued by the Freesoilers, drawn up by Samuel 
J. Tilden, which, among other charges made 
against the Baltimore Convention, asserted that 
the State Convention of Alabama, had passed re- 
solutions denying the power of Congress to pro- 
hibit slavery in the territories, and declaring 
that the Alabama Democracy would support no 
Wilmot Provisoist for President. It denounced, 
l)y name, Messrs. Aikin, of Alabama ; Bayley,of 
Virginia ; McAllister, of Georgia ; Commander, 
of South Carolina, and other Southern dele- 
gates. It complained that Senator Dickinson, 
in his remarks in the Convention, had appealed 
to it " to reject us, because of the position as- 
sumed by the Corner Stone resolution of the 
Utica Convention." • It imbodied a protest 
against the action of the Baltimore Convention. 
And it concluded by inviting a State Conven- 
tion, to meet at Utica on the 22th of June, to 
receive the report of the delegation, " and ex- 
press their sentiments" on the subject, and re- 
commend candidates for President and Vice- 
President. 

The Utica Convention met, Sam Young, Pre- 
sident, Gilbert Dean, of Dutchess, Secretary. 
The credentials of the Barnburner delegation 
were returned. Martin Grover, Preston King, 
B. F. Butler, and John Van Buren spoke. D. 
D. Field read a letter from Martin Van Buren, 
taking strong ground against the action and the 



candidates of the Baltimore Convention, and 
declaring " that injustice must be resisted, in- 
dignities repelled." 

Simeon B. Jewctt, of Monroe, moved the una- 
nimous nomination of Martin Van Buren by ac- 
clamation for President, which was carried with 
cheering. Henry Dodge, of Wisconsin, was 
nominated for Vice-President. More speeches 
were made by Messrs. Rathbun, Nye, and 
Young. B. F. Butler, also, denounced " the 
man who wished he had been born in Vir- 
ginia," (Dickinson,) and paid a tribute to the 
Ohio Democracy, whom he claimed as " the 
natural allies of the New York Barnburners." 
The resolutions adopted, assumed it to be the 
right and duty of Congress to expel slavery 
from the territories, and declared " domestic 
slavery a great moral, social, and political evil," 
and a " relic of Barbarism." 

The address reported by Mr. Butler is a very 
elaborate Freesoil argument, and labors to over- 
turn the positions taken by Senator Dickinson, 
in his speech of January 12th. 

Meanwhile the Hunker delegation had issued 
an address recommending a support of Cass and 
Butler. 

The Nominations of the New York Barn- 
burners created a profound sensation. Senator. 
Dodge wrote an immediate letter, declining the 
candidacy of Vice-President. In order to fill 
this vacancy on their ticket, and extend the 
Freesoil movement in other States, a " Conven- 
tion of Free States" was called to meet at Buf- 
falo on the 9th of August, 1848. The leading 
members of the " Liberty Party," or Old Line 
Abolitionists of this State at first hesitated to 
support Van Buren. The Ohio, Michigan, Ver- 
mont, and Massachusetts Freesoilers, who were 
Whiggish in their tendencies, also held aloof for 
awhile. It was necessary to conciliate all these, 
and much negotiation was done. Meanwhile 
numerous delegations of Barnburners were elect- 
ed from this State to the Bufialo Convention, 
which was absolutely packed, there being no 
arrangement made as to representation, and the 
Convention being, in fact, a mere mass meeting. 
Among the delegates to the BuSalo Conven- 
tion were John P. Beehnan, Josiah M. Todd, 
John L. Russell, Dennis McCarthy, William C. 
Dryer, Simeon B. Jcwett, James C. Campbell, 
William C. Rhodes, Wiliiam Vandervoort, Israel 
T. Hatch, Samuel S. Jenks, and others, now 
members of the Soft delegation to Cincinnati. 



The Couveution mot, all the nou-slaveholdiug 
States being " represented," that is, having citi- 
zens upon the ground. Charles Francis Adams, 
of Massachusetts, was its presiding officer. A 
committee of fifty-five, B. F. Butler, Chairman, 
was appointed on resolutions. E. D. Culver 
and John AV. Xye, of New York, and J. R. 
Giddings, of Ohio, addressed the Convention. 
The famous Buffalo Platform was reported on the 
second day as follows : 

" Whereas, We have assembled in Convention, 
as a union of freemen, for the sake of freedom, 
forgetting all past political differences in a com- 
mon resolve to maintain the rights of free labor 
against the aggressions of the Slave Power, and 
to secure free soil for a free people ; and 

" Whereas, The political Conventions recently 
assembled at Baltimore and Philadelphia, the one 
stifling the voice of a great constituency entitled 
to be heard in its deliberations, and the other 
abandoning its distinctive principles for mere 
availability, have dissolved the national party 
organization heretofore existing, by nominating 
for the Chief Magistracy of the United States, 
under slave holding dictation, candidates, neither 
of whom can be supported by the opponents of 
slavery extension without a sacrifice of consist- 
ency, duty, and self-respect ; and 

" Whereas, These nominations, so made, fur- 
nish the occasion and demonstrate the neces- 
sity of the union of the people under the banner 
of free Democracy, in a solemn and* formal de- 
claration of their independence of the Slave 
Power, and of their fixed determination to 
rescue the Federal government from its control : 

" Resolved, Therefore, that we, the people here 
assembled, remembering the example of our 
fathers in the days of the first Declaration of In- 
dependence, putting our trust in God for the 
triumph of our cause, and invoking his guidance 
in our endeavors to advance it, do now plant 
ourselves upon the National Platform of Free- 
dom, in opposition to the Sectional Platform of 
Slavery. 

" Resolved, That slavery in tlie several States 
of this Union, which recognize its existence, de- 
pends upon State laws alone, which cannot be 
repealed or modified by the Federal govern- 
ment, and for which laws that government is not 
responsible. We, therefore, propose no inter- 
ference by Congress with slavery within the 
limits of any State. 

" Resolved, That the Proviso of Jefferson, to 
prohibit the existence of slavery, after 1800, in 
all the Territories of the United States, southern 
and northern ; the votes of six States and six- 
teen delegates, in Congress of 1 784, for the Pro- 
viso, to three States and seven delegates against 
it; the actual exclusion of slavery from the 
Northwestern Territory, by the ordinance of 
1787, unanimously adopted by the States in 
Congress, and the entire history of that period, 
clearly show that it was the settled policy of 



the nation not to ex tend, nationalize, or encour- 
age, but to limit, localize, and discourage slavery; 
and to this policy, which should never have been 
departed from, the government ought to return. 

"Resolved, That our fathers ordained the 
Constitution of the United States, in order, 
among other great national objects to establish 
justice, promote the general welfare, and secure 
the blessings of Liberty ; but expressly denied to 
the Federal government, which they created, 
all constitutional power to deprive any person 
of life, liberty, or property, without due legal 
process. 

" Resolved, That in the judgment of this Con- 
vention, Congress has no more power to make a 
slave than to make a king ; no more power to 
institute or establish slavery than to institute or 
establish a monarchy ; no such power can be 
found among those specifically conferred by the 
Constitution, or derived by just implication from 
them. 

" Resolved, That it is the duty of the Federal 
government to relieve itself from all respon- 
sibility for the existence or continuance of 
slavery, wherever that government possesses 
Constitutionill authority to legislate on that 
subject, and is thus responsible for its existence. 

" Resolved, That the true, and in the judg- 
ment of this Convention, the only safe means of 
preventing the extention of slavery into terri- 
tory now free, is to prohibit its existence in all 
such territory by an act of Congress. 

"Resolved, That we accept the issue which 
the Slave Power has forced upon us, and to their 
demand for more Slave States and more Slave 
Territories, our calm but final answer is — no 
more Slave States and no Slave Territory. Let 
the soil of our extensive dominions be ever kept 
free for the hardy pioneers of our own land, and 
the oppressed and banished of other lands, seek- 
ing homes of comfort and fields of enterprise in 
the new world. 

" Resolved, That the bill lately reported by 
the Conuuittee of eight in the Senate of the 
United States was no compromise, but an abso- 
lute surrender of the rights of the non-slavehold- 
ers of all the States ; and while we rejoice to 
know that a measure which, while opening the 
door for the introduction of slavery into terri- 
tories now free, would also have opened the door 
to litigation and strife among the future in- 
habitants thereof, to the ruin of their peace and 
prosperity, was defeated in the House of Repre- 
sentatives, its passage in hot haste, by a majority 
embracing several Senators who "voted in open 
violation of the known will of their constituents, 
should warn the people to see to it, that their 
representatives be not suffered to betray them. 
There must be no more compromises with 
slavery ; if made they must be repealed. 

" Resolved, That we demand freedom, and es- 
tablished institutions for our brethren in Oregon, 
now exposed to hardships, perils, and massacre, 
by the reckless hostility of the Slave Power to 
the establishment of free government for free 
territories, and not only for them but for our 



14 



now brcthreu in California and New Mexico. 
And 

" Whereas, It is due, not only to this occa' 
si on, but to the whole people of the United 
States, that we should also declare ourselves 
on certain other questions of national policy, 
therefore 

" Resolved, That we demand cheap postage 
for the people ; a retrenchment of the expenses 
and patronage of the Federal government ; the 
abolition of all unnecessary ofBces and salaries ; 
and the election by the people of all civil officers 
in the service of the government, so far as the 
same may be practicable. 

" Resolved, That river and harbor improve- 
ments, when ever demanded by the safety or 
convenience of commerce with foreign nations, 
or among the several States, are objects of na- 
tional concern ; and that it is the duty of Con- 
gress, in the exercise of its Constitutional power, 
to provide therefor. 

" Resolved, That the free grant to actual set- 
tlers, in consideration of the expenses they incur 
in making settlements in the wilderness, which 
are usually fully equal to their actual cost, and 
of the public benefits resulting therefrom, of 
reasonable portions of the public lands under suit- 
able limitations, is a wise and just measure of 
public policy, which will promote, in various 
ways, the interests of all the States of this Union ; 
and we, therefore, recommend it to the favorable 
judgment of the American people. 

" Resolved, That the obligations of honor and 
patriotism require the earliest practical payment 
of the national debt ; and we are, therefore, in 
favor of such a tariff of duties as will raise 
revenue adequate to defray the necessary ex- 
penses of the Federal government, and to pay 
annual instalments of our debt and the interest 
thereon. 

" Resolved, That we inscribe on our banner 
' free soil, free speech, free labor, and free men,' 
and under it will fight on and fight ever, until 
a triimiphant victory shall reward our exer- 
tions." 

A Committee of Conference, Salmon P. Chase, 
of Ohio, Chairman, was appointed : Mr. Butler 
produced in this committee a letter from Martin 
Van Burcn, which was satisfactory, and the nom- 
ination of Van Buren for President was unani- 
mously reported to the Convention by Joshua 
Leavitt, of Massachusetts. Charles Francis Ad- 
ams was nominated for Vice-President. The 
Convention was addressed by a number of speak- 
ers, among them the Rev. Mr. Ward, a negro, 
and adjourned with great enthusiasfti. 

The entire Abolition party of this and other 
States now accepted Mr. Van Buren, as their 
candidate.; Gerrit Smith, although himself re- 
fusing to vote for him, "for reasons' growing 
out «f JtKe' Iiand Reform questioa," thus ex- ^ 



pressed in a letter dated Peterboro', August 
15, 1848, the feeling of the Liberty party : " I in- 
finitely prefer the election of the candidates, (Van 
Buren and Adams,) to the election of the Whig 
or Democratic candidates. Among all the per- 
sons whom there was the least reason to believe 
the Buffalo Convention would nominate for Pre- 
sident, Mr. Van Buren was my preference," 

Gen. Taylor and Mr. Fillmore having been 
nominated by the Whigs, a triangular contest 
ensued in this State. The Freesoil ticket at 
first seemed very strong from the number of 
Whigs who avowed their support of it. In 
September, good politicians expected the State 
to go for Van Buren. And it was not until 
after the Conventions for the nomination of State 
tickets were respectively held, and the word was 
given for The New York Tribune, and the 
country Whig papers to declare for Taylor, 
that the latter seemed likely to carry the State. 
This falling off of the Whig vote from Van Bu' 
ren, extinguished his prospects. 

The National Democratic or Hunker State 
Convention met at Syracuse on the 5th of Sep- 
tember. Among the delegates were Stephen 
S. Wandell, of Albany, C. T. Chamberlain, 
of Allegany, T. J. Wheeler, of Cattaragus, 
Levi H. Case, of Chenango, John H. Otis and 
Charles Robinson, of Dutchess, Andrew L. Ire^ 
land, of Essex, F. Follett, of Genesee, William 
Carlisle, of Jefferson, Henry C. Murphy and 
Joseph C. Hasbrouck, of Kings, John A. Van- 
derlip, of Livingston, Samuel S. Bowne, (then) 
of Monroe, Sherman McLean, of Niagara, Moses 
D. Burnett and Sanford C. Parker, of Onon- 
daga, Harvey Goodrich, of Orleans, Samuel 
Beard.sley and Naaman W. Moore, of Onei- 
da, John J. Suffern, of Rockland, Nathan T. 
Rossiter,of Schoharie, Orville Clark and Oliver 
Cook, of Washington, &c. Judge Beardsley wa'3 
President of the Convention ; Mr, Murphy, of 
Kings, reported an address and resolutions ap-. 
proving of the Baltimore Platform and the nom'- 
inations of Cass and Butler ; Reuben H. Wal- 
worth was "ilomintited for Governor, Charles 
O'CoNOR for Lieutenant-Governor, and Sher- 
man McLean for Canal Commissioner. 

A large Cass meeting in Norwich, September 
1st, was addressed hj D.S. Dickinson and S\,B'. 
Bowne. , ,. . ; ..:-..... ,. 

The Freesoil State Convention met, pursuant 
to a call issued by Freesoil members of the 
■Legislatiire, iitUtica,- 13th St>f)teraberrE.''S. " 



15 



Talcott, of Oswego, (now collector of that port,) 
in the chair. John Cochrane, of New York, 
was Chairman of the Committee on organiza- 
tion. The permanent President was Gen. Mac- 
Donald, of Queens ; George H. Purser, of New 
Tork, and Alexander H. Buell, of Herkimer, 
Vice-Presidents, and James Wadsworth, of 
Erie, Secretary. 

Simeon B. Jewett, of Monroe, rose and stated 
to the Convention that the Liberty party (Abo- 
lition) Convention had resolved to merge into 
this body, provided the latter should pass cer- 
tain resolutions on slavery, which were accord- 
ingly passed, and the Abolition Convention 
joined that of the Barnburners. 

A ticket of Presidential Electors, was next 
nominated, upon which were the names of Na- 
thaniel Jones, of Orange, John P. Beelcman, of 
Columbia, James S. Whallon, of Essex, Theo- 
dore C. Peters, of Genesee, &c. 

John A. Dix was nominated unanimously for 
Governor ; John Cochrane, of New Tork, then 
took the floor and made a Freesoil speech, 
claiming that " the land of America must be 
free ; it cannot be made into a bed from which 
slaves shall be gi-own. He wished the fact es- 
tablished that no bondsman's chains should ever 
clank over the vast arena of California and New 
Mexico." He closed by nominating Seth M. 
Gates, Whig, for Lieutenant-Governor, which 
was agreed to. 

Simeon B, Jewett, then nominated Charles 
A. Wheaton, Abolitionist, for Canal Commis- 
sioner, which was carried. 



Gen. Nye then spoke, ridiculing " the recreant 
Senator," Dickinson. Mr. Tildeu reported res- 
olutions of the ordinary stamp, and the Con- 
vention adjourned with three cheers forJohn 
Van Buren. 

The Whigs nominated Hamilton Fish for Go- 
vernor, and George H. Patterson for Lieutenant- 
Governor. 

GusTAVUs A. CoNOVER was the Cass and 
Butler Assembly candidate in the 7th district 
of New York, and Daniel B. Taylor in the 
12th ; Mark Spencer, now a Soft State Sena- 
tor, was the Van Buren candidate for Congress, 
in the .5th district, and Stephen R. Hasbrouck, 
the Cass and Butler candidate. 

The election took place on the 7th November 
and resulted in the choice of Taylor and Fill- 
more Electors. The vote was, Taylor 218,604 ; 
Van Buren 120,510 ; Cass 114,318. 

The Whig triumph in New York was com- 
plete. The Hunkers elected two State Sena- 
tors, and the Freesoilers six. To the Assem- 
bly the Hunkers elected Henry J. Allen and 
Daniel B. Taylor, of New York, J. J. Smalley, 
of Putnam, H. Barber, of Albany, and L. Butts, 
of Delaware, five ; the Freesoilers elected F. 
P. Bellinger, of Herkimer, Noble S. Elderkin, 
of St. Lawrence, James M. Elwood, of Oneida, 
and ten others. The Hunkers elected Hiram 
Walden, from the Otsego and Schoharie dis- 
tricts to Congress, and the Freesoilers returned 
Preston King, of St. Lawrence. Every thing 
else was Whig. 



CHAPTER V. 

From January, 1849 — to January, 1850. 

Movements towards Uniting the National and Freesoil Democrats. The Rome Union Con- 
ventions. The Softs in a Majority in the Hunker Convention. Mr. Dickinson Out- 
voted. The Freesoil Convention Not Satisfial with the Concessions. The Hunker 

State Convention and Its Ticket.— The Softs Propose a Coalition to the Freesoilers. 

The Freesoil Convention Accepts the Proposition. Avowals of John Van Buren. The 

New York Hards Repudiate the " Union."-— ^The Result of the Election. 



Amos K. Hadley was chosen Speaker of the the Hunker votes being cast in the negative, 
the Assembly— the Hunker Democrats and Free- On the 6th of February, William H. Seward 
Boilers meeting in separate caucuses and voting was elected Senator for six years— the Plunkers 
for separate candidates. Strong anti-slavery voting for Reuben H. Walworth, and the Free- 
resolutions were passed by both houses, only sellers for John A. Dix. 



16 



" The re-union of the party" or rather a coali- 
tion of Hunkers and Freesoilors for local offices, 
began to be suggested early in this year. In 
New York, Myndert Van Schaick was unsuccess- 
fully run for Mayor, being first nominated by his 
own party and then by the Hunker Mayoralty 
Convention at Tammany. Upon the Judiciary 
ticket, however, a failure to unite ensued, the 
Hunker Convention, of-which Augustus Schell 
and Gideon J. Tucker were members, refusing 
to entertain a proposition to coalesce with the 
Freesoilers. The Whigs elected both Mayor 
and Judges, although the Freesoil vote, in the 
entire city, only reached 1,500. 

At the close of the Legislative session, April 
11th, the Hunker and Freesoil members issued 
separate addresses. The address of the latter 
called a State Convention to meet on the 12th of 
September at Syracuse, to nominate candidates 
for State officers : that of the former recommend- 
ing, " that both organized sections of those that 
once composed the Democracy of the State, hold 
their next State Convention at the same time and 
place." On the 15th May, the Hunker State 
Committee, however, called their State Con- 
vention for the 5th of September at Syracuse. 

Very little inclination was at first shown by 
the Freesoil papers to unite with the Hunkers ; 
most of them derided the idea. Thus the Ulster 
Republican as late as June denounced the action 
of the" Conservatives," (Hunkers,) on the slavery 
question as being " such as to demonstrate 
their utter hypocrisy and besotted subserviency 
to the mandates of the slave-drivers." 

In the 20th June, John V. L. Pmyn, Chair- 
man of the Hunker State Committee, address- 
ed a letter to H. H. Van Dyck, Charles S. 
Benton, and others of the Freesoil Committee, 
proposing " in a sincere and earnest desire to 
unite the Democratic masses in the support of 
one ticket and one organization," that a Conven- 
tion of each party be held, meeting separately, at 
Borne on the 15th of August. On the 3d July, 
Mr. Beaton, Chairman of the Freesoil State 
Committee, replied at length, going into the 
question of regularity of organization in 1848, 
and concluding with " an acceptance of the pro- 
position as made." He, however, declared that 
the Wilmot Proviso having been sustained by 
the people of the State, must be recognized as a 
part of the Democratic platfoirm, as a condition 
of union. Mr. Pruyn replied, making the fatal 
concession, that " we, [the Hunkers,] will not as- 



sume to consider this single point, the [support 
or rejection of Provisoism,] a test of Democratic 
faith and duty." Mr. Pruyn was the first Soft- 
shell. 

Each party, therefore, issued a call for a Con- 
vention at Rome on the 15th August. 

On the 12 th July, a Freesoil Convention at 
Cleveland, Ohio, was addressed by John Van 
Buren, whose speech avowed that he had a pre- 
ference for Taylor over Cass, and declared " the 
National Democratic party dissolved by the ac- 
tion of the South." 

On the 10th July, Gen. Cass wrote to the 
Washington Union a long letter repeating his 
views on the slavery question, which brought 
forth fresh ridicule and denunciation from the 
Freesoil presses. It was under such auspices 
that the Rome Conventions assembled. 

The two Conventions met ; the Hunkers in 
the Presbyterian church, where Francis B. Cut- 
ting was temporary Chairman, and Mr. Marcy 
President of the Convention. 

The Barnburner Freesoil, or as it termed 
itself" Free Democratic" Convention, met in the 
Baptist church. Among its members were D. 
Burwell, of Albany; Martin Grover, of Alle- 
gany ; William P. Angel and Samuel S. Jenks, 
of Catteraugus ; William Smith Ingham and 
Thos. Y. Howe, jr., of Cayuga ; Ariel S. Thurs- 
ton, of Chemung ; John P. Beekman, of Colum- 
bia ; Nathan Darling, of Dutchess ; Isaac V. 
Vanderpoel,of Erie ; Clark S. Grinnell, of Fulton 
and Hamilton ; A. Beckwith and A. Loomis, of 
Herkimer ; Alfred Fox and Willard Ives, of Jef- 
ferson ; Phillip S. Crooke, of Kings ; B. F. Angel 
and Geo. Hastings, of Livingston ; James W. 
Nye, of Madison ; S. B. Jewett, of Monroe ; John 
Van Buren, John Cochrane, Edmund J. Porter, 
James Conner, John E. Devlin, John A. Ken- 
nedy, and Moses D. Gale, of New York; S. B. 
Piper, of Niagara ; Ward Hunt and R. Hurlbut, 
of Oneida; Enoch B. Talcott, of Oswego; 
Jerome J. Briggs, of Onondaga ; Eli Lapham 
and C. Loomis, of Ontario ; John W. Brown, 
of Orange ; S. E. Church, of Orleans ; Thomas 
B. Carroll, of Rensselaer; Piatt Potter, of 
Schenectady ; H. B. Stanton, of Seneca ; Preston 
King and N ^3. Elderkin, of St. Lawrence ; John 
G. Floyd, of Suffolk ; George W. Lord, of Sulli- 
van, &c. Joseph H. Anderson, of Westchester, 
was temporary Chairman, and Wm. Taylor, of 
Onondaga, President. 

It is proper to observe here, that two opinions 



17 



prevailed in the Hunker Convention ; Mr. Dick- 
inson and his friends insisting that no union 
should ba formed with the Freesoilers, unless 
the latter should abandon their Wilmot Proviso 
clamor, and Mr. Marcy, Mr. Seymour, and their 
friends advocating the theory, " that opinions 
upon slavery should not be made a test," nor a 
persistance in anti-slavery agitation be deemed a 
heresy. This was the division into " Hards" 
and " Softs." 

In the Hunker Convention, Chancellor Wal- 
worth moved a Committee of eight to " conduct 
negotiations" with the Freesoil Convention, 
which was agreed to, and Messrs. Walworth, 
Cutting, Chas. Borland, of Orange, Peckham, 
Beardsley, R. Halsey, of Tompkins, S. S. Bowne, 
and Smith, of Erie, were appointed. 

In the Barnburner Convention, after reading 
a letter from Martin Van Buren, Martin G-rover 
moved the adoption of two resolutions — which 
were unanimously agreed to. 

The first declared that the " division in the 
Democracy" arose from the slavery question. 

The second, 

" Resolved, That the views of this Convention 
on this subject are as follows : 

1st. It is not questioned or disputed that 
Congress has the power over slavery in the 
District of Columbia. 

2nd. It is not questioned or disputed that 
Congress does not possess the power over slav- 
ery in the States. 

3rd. The power of Congress over slavery in 
the Territories of the United States is question- 
ed. This Convention holds that the Federal 
government possesses the legislative power over 
slavery in the territories and ought to exercise it 
so as to prevent the extension of slavery there." 

These being passed, the communication from 
the Hunkers was read. A Committee of Con- 
ference was ordered, consisting of Preston King, 
John A. Kennedy, of New York, John W. 
Brown, of Orange, John P. Beckman, A. Loomis, 
of Herkimer, Thomas P. Barlow, R. Camp- 
bell, and S. E. Church. It was ordered that 
this Committee have pov/er " to negotiate upon 
all matters, except principle." 

The Committees proceeded to negotiate and 
each reported to its Convention the next after- 
noon, an inability to agree on the slavery ques- 
tion. The Hunker Convention accepted the 
report of its Committee and resolved to awat 
further action from the Freesoilers. The Free- 
soil Convention passed a resolution stating that 



it insisted upon the resolutions of the day before, 
and sent it to the Hunkers. The Hunkers passed 
by a majority, a resolution that it was •' inexpedi- 
ent" therefore to negotiate further. Messrs. 
Burroughs, of Orleans, and Levi S. Chatfield, of 
Otsego, opposed an adjournment ; and the divi- 
sion of the Hunker Convention into " Hard" 
and " Soft" Shells was evident. The' latter 
carried the point, and the Convention refused to 
adjourn 5/?ie die. 

Next morning the Hunker Convention passed 
resolutions proposed by Levi S. Chatfield — the 
Softshells triumphing, and Mr. Dickinson voting 
in the negative, which declared opposition to the 
extension of slavery, but, considering the power 
of Congress, a controverted question declared 
that opinions upon that subject ought not to be 
a test matter. Mr. Dickinson delivered a most 
able and powerful speech in opposition to these 
resolutions which form the " Soft" platform from 
that day to this. 

The Freesoilers were not satisfied, even with 
this humiliation of the Hunkers. The former 
passed anew their test Proviso platform, and 
virtually announced that nothing would satisfy 
them but the adoption by the Hunkers of their 
resolution passed the first day. To this the 
Hunker Convention, not utterly bereft of its 
dignity, declined to accede ; and the two Con- 
ventions adjourned sine die. 

The division in the Hunker ranks was now very 
perceptible. The leading friends of Mr. Marcy 
were desirous of a new attempt at " union ;" 
those of Mr. Dickinson m\ the other hand repu- 
diated the action of the Union Conventions, 
and repelled the idea of further concessions. 
In this difference the names " Soft" and " Hard" 
began to be commonly applied ; the former as 
indicating a leaning toivards the Freesoilers, a 
softening of Hunker National principle ; the latter 
as evidencing firmness and a refusal to fuse. 
The leading members of the Hunker Rome Con- 
vention who have since become known as Soft- 
shells, were Messrs. L. S. Chatfield, of Otsego ; 
S. M. Burroughs, of Orleans ; AV. L. G. Smith 
and Wm. A. Scaver, of Erie ; Francis Seger, of 
Lewis ; D. E. Sickles and L. B. Shepard, of New 
York ; John Strijker, of Oneida ; Thomas G. 
Alvord, of Onondaga ; Chas. H. Wiafield, of 
Orange ; and Robert Halsey, of Tompkins. Of 
those who have remained Hard Hunkers, we 
may name Samuel G. Courtney, of Albany ; 
Thomas A. Osborne, of Chautauque ; Burr B. 



18 



Andrews, of Chenango ; John H. Otis, of 
Dutchess ; Joseph K. Flanders, of Franklin ; 
MicHAL Thompson, of Fulton and Hamilton ; 
Frederick Follett, of Genesee ; Lysander H. 
Brown, of Jefferson ; Wm. J. Hough, (then) of 
Madison ; Thomas B. Mitchell, (then) of Mont- 
gomery ; Francis B. Cutting, Henry M. Western, 
of New York ; Nathan Dayton and Andrew 
Robinson, of Niagara ; Samuel Beardsley, of 
Oneida ; William C. Ruger, of Onondaga, Thos. 
M. Howell, of Ontario ; Wra. Lewis, of Oswego ; 
Job Pierson, of Rensselaer ; Abm. P. Stevens, 
of Rockland ; Edwin Dodge, of St. Lawrence ; 
Reuben H. Walworth, of Saratoga ; Thomas 
J. Reynolds, of Steuben ; Joshua B. Smith and 
G. S. Adams, of Suffolk ; A. C. Niven, of Sul- 
livan ; Erastus Evans, of Tioga ; Aaron 
Ward, of Westchester ; Alden P. Stevens, of 
Wyoming, &c. 

This division in the Hunker ranks was still 
more evident in the Hunker State Convention, 
which met at Syracuse on the 5th of September. 
Peter Mitchell, of Ontario, presided temporarily, 
and Francis B. Cutting, of New York, was the 
permanent President of the Convention. The 
following ticket was nominated. 

For Judge of Appeals, Hiram Denio ; for 
Comptroller, John A. Lott ; for Secretary of 
State, James C. Dann ; for Attorney General, 
Levi S. Chatfleld ; for Treasurer, Darius A. 
Ogden ; for State Engineer, John D. Fay ; for 
State Prison Inspector, Darius Clark ; for Ca- 
nal Commissioner, Frederick Follett. Messrs. 
Denio, Lott, Dann, Fay, Clark, and Follett, 
were " Hards," the rest were " Softs." The 
Convention also adopted a resolution offered by 
William L. G. Smith, of Erie, (Soft,) offering to 
the Freesoil Convention to withdraw Messrs. 
Denio, Dann, Fay, and Ogden, (three Hards and 
one Soft,) and to support Freesoilers in their 
stead, if a " union" could thereby be effected. 
This resolution was adopted by ayes and noes, 
showing a Soft majority in Convention. Among 
the Hards in the negative, we find Elijah Ford, 
of Erie ; Augustus Schell, F. B. Cutting, and 
Anthony Dugro, of New York ; Samuel 
Beardsley, William C. Ruger, and David 
MouLTON, of Oneida ; Edwin Dodge, of St. Law- 
rence ; Aaron Ward, of Westchester ; Wm. F. 
Russell, of Ulster. Among the Softs, John V. L. 
Prmjn, of Albany ; Wm. L. G. Smith, of Erie ; 
Charles H. Winfield, of Orange ; Horatio Sey- 
mour, of Oneida, &c. 



The Freesoil Convention met on the 12 th of 
September, and passed unanimously a series of 
resolutions. The first recommends the aban- 
donment of State Committees, by both organi- 
zations, and a return to the system of calling 
Conventions by Legislative caucus. The second 
demands that Congress free itself from all re- 
sponsibility for slavery. The third declares the 
power of Congress over slavery in the District 
of Columbia. The fourth, that Congress has 
no power over slavery in the States. The fifth, 
that Congress should " prevent the extension" 
of slavery in the territories. The sixth ap- 
proves of the signing of the Oregon Territory 
bill, including the Wilmot Proviso, by Presi- 
dent Polk. The seventh declares " principle the 
only test in politics." 

A resolution to nominate the four Hunkers 
along with four Freesoilers, as proposed by 
the Hunker Convention, was opposed by Ward 
Hunt, of Oneida, and John Cochrane, of New 
York. John Van Buren spoke in its favor, and 
gave notice that the Hunkers, on the ticket, 
would be questioned on the Proviso, and if 
they did not endorse it, they would be beaten 
by 100,000 majority. The Convention, 61 to 
37, after this pledge, agreed to accept the four 
Hunker candidates, and completed the ticket by 
nominating Freeborn G. Jewett, for Judge of 
Appeal ; Henry S. Randall, for Secretary of 
State ; Benjamin Welch, jr., for Treasurer ; and 
Alexander Campbell, for State Engineer. A 
Mass Meeting was then held to ratify the ticket. 

Thus were the two parties " united." How 
false and hollow the " union" was, we must leave 
for future Chapters to tell. It was avowed by 
John Van Buren to be his object, in bringing 
about this union, " to make the Democratic party 
of New York, the great anti-Slavery party of 
New York, and to make the Democratic party 
of the Union, the great anti-Slavery party of 
the Union." 

Mr. Van Bui:en's threat was promptly carried 
out. A letter was addressed to each of the 
eight candidates on the " united and harmonious" 
State ticket, requiring information of his opinion 
on the " test" question. Answers subscribing 
to this " test" were returned by Messrs. Chat- 
field, (Soft Hunker,) Randall, Welch, and Camp- 
bell, (Barnburners.) Messrs. Jewett, (Barn- 
burner,) candidate for Judge, Lott, and Folletf, 
(Hard Hunkers,) returned no answer. This cor- 
respondence excited great interest, and was free- 



19 



ly denounced by the Hards. In New York 
city, James T. Brady, Augustus Sciiell, Mike 
Walsh, and other Hards, signed and published 
a manifesto denouncing it as a proof " that the 
union, from which so much advancement was 
promised to the Democratic cause, is, in truth, 
to be employed only as a means of engrafting 
upon its time honored principles, a set of Aboli- 
tion doctrines, hostile to the peace and welfare 
of the Republic, and repugnant to the sympathy 
and intelligence of the Democratic party." It 
also called attention to the fact that " war to 
the knife is declared against Senator Dickinson, 
for the avowed reasons that his opinions on the 
negro question do not suit the Fi'eesoil Aboli- 
tion party." 

In Kings county and in New York, John A. 
Lott was attacked on the score of some profes- 
sional business in which he had been engaged 
on the unpopular side, and his vote was reduced 
a few hundreds by that circumstance. This ac- 
cusation was freely paraded in the Freesoil 
and Soft papers, and formed a noticeable evi- 
dence of the inauguration of " union and har- 
mony." 

The result of the election was the success of 
Judge Jewett ; Levi S. Chatfield, Attorney Gen- 
eral ; Frederick Follett, Canal Commissioner ; 
and Dr. Clark, State Prison Inspector, on the 
" Union Democratic" ticket — and of Christopher 



Morgan, Secretary of State ; "Washington Hunt, 
Comptroller ; Alvah Hunt, Treasurer ; and Hez- 
ekiah Seymour, State Engineer, on the Whig 
ticket. The success of any of the " Democra- 
tic" candidates was partly owing to anti-Rent- 
ism, partly to local influence, but mainly to 
the difficulties among the Whigs, owing to the 
rivalry of Vice-President Fillmore and Senator 
Seward. The Abolition vote, which had merged 
in the Van Buren vote in 1848, this year re-ap- 
peared, and numbered 1,300. 

The " Democrats" elected three Supreme Court 
Judges out of eight. The " Democrats" elected 
15 Senators, of whom the Baraburners and 
Softs had 13. In the House, the parties were 
tied, 64 to 64, though the seat of Daniel Ful- 
lerton, Whig, of Orange, was contested by S. T. 
Durland, Democrat. 

On the 24th November, the Hunker Demo- 
crats of New York city, invited Gen. Cass to a 
public dinner, which that gentleman declined. 
Among the members of the Committee of Invi- 
tation were Ulysses D. French, B. C. West, E. 
B. Hart, Gustavus A. Conover, John B. Has- 
kin, Joseph S. Bosworth, Thomas WnEELAif, 
Charles O'Conor, R. J. Dillon, &c. 

The House of Representatives did not orga- 
nize till the 22d of December, when Mr. Cobb, 
of Georgia, was elected Speaker, by a plurality 
vote. 



CHAPTER VI. 
■'' From January, 1850 — to January, 1852. 

The Hards and Softs on the Compromise Measures. State Convention of 1850. Mr. 

O 'Conor's Resolutions construed by the Softs so as to Ignore the Fugitive Law. The 

Elections of 1850. The Soft "Personal Liberty" Bill. Mr. Dickinson leaves the 

U. S. Senate. The Canal Bill. The State Convention of 1851. Col. Fowler's 

Resolution Tabled by the Soft Majority. The Jerry Rescue. The Elections of 1851. 



The " Democrats," of all sorts, in the As- 
sembly, met in caucus on the 3 1st December, 
1849, and nomiuatid Noble S. Elderkin, of 
St. Lawrence, Freesoil Soft, for Speaker, and 
James R. Rose, Hard, for Clerk. They were 
elected. In the State Senate the Whigs had 17 
Senators in caucus, and of course were in the 
majority. Immediately on the organization. Sen- 
ator Geddes introduced a series of resolutions 



in opposition to the extension of slavery, and to 
the claims of the State of Texes to her western 
boundary, and instructing our U. S. Senators 
and requesting our Representatives to act in ac- 
cordance. 

On the 17th of January, an interesting debate 
on slavery matters took place in the L^. S. 
Senate, in the course of which Mr. Dickinson 
delivered a long and able speech in opposition 



20 



to sectional agitation. Senator Jefferson Davis, 
of Mississippi, said on this occasion : 

" I am one of those who have seen Northern 
Democrats stand firm nndor the most trying cir- 
cumstances, and I admired them the more for the 
danger which I believe they encountered in their 
advocacy of our rights. The Senator from New 
York, (Mr. Dickinson.) has come out more 
boldly to-day in the expression of his opinions 
than ever before, and I venture to affirm that 
never was he so poorly sustained at home as 
in this crisis. I admire him the more that his 
courage rises the higher, the greater the danger 
that surrounds him. He expresses hopes, that I 
trust will be fulfilled. 1 trust that the dangers 
which now threaten us will be removed and that 
the further discussion of this question will prove 
that he is not alone on this floor." 

In the Legislature the Hards had but two 
Senators, Messrs. Brown and Braudretb, while 
among the Softs and Freesoilers were Thomas 

B. Carrol, Thomas Crook, William A. Dart, 
Charles A. Mann, and Henry B. Stanton. In 
the Assembly there were among the Hard mem- 
bers, Henry J. Allen, of New York ; Ferral 

C. Diniuny, of Steuben ; Elijah Ford, of Erie ; 
Wm. Lewis, Jr., of Oswego ; Charles Robin- 
son and Minor C. Story, of Dutchess. Among 
the Softs and Freesoilers, Silas M. Burroughs, 
of Orleans ; Gilbert C. Dean, of New York ; 
Harlow Goddard, of St. Lawrence ; and Gorton 
T. Thomas, of Clinton. 

On the 7th of January, several series of 
anti-slavery resolutions Avere introduced in the 
Assembly by Seward Whig members, and re- 
ferred. On the 9th, the resolutions of Mr. 
Geddes. on that subject, were reported on 
favorably in the Senate, and on the 16th 
they passed that body, the Hard members 
voting in the negative. They were received 
in the Assembly and referred to a select 
Committee, of which Elijah Ford, Hard, was 
Chairman. That Committee ^neglecting to re- 
port on them, was ordered by resolution, on the 
23d January, to report on them, and did so. 
Mr. Root, (Soft,) of Herkimer, uniting with 
the two Whig committeemen in favoring Free- 
soil resolutions. On making his report Mr. 
Ford delivered an a1)lo, high toned, National 
speech, in bold opposition to sectional agitation. 
On the 5th February, Mr. Story, (Hard,) spoke 
at length to the same purport. Mr. Dininny, 
(Hard,) followed on the same side. On the 14th, 
the resolutions passed the Assembly, 69 to 21, 
the nays all Hards or Silver-Gray Whigs. 



Among them Henry J. All-en, Dininny, Ford, 
Lewis, C. Robinson, and Story. All the Softs 
and Freesoilers voting aye or dodging. Bur- 
roughs and Godard, aye, and Dean and Thomas 
absent. 

On the 29th January, Henry Clay introduced 
in the U. S. Senate resolutions suggesting a 
Compromise, and the question of the settlement 
of the slavery agitation was debated at much 
length in that bodj', while the most intense agi- 
tation and excitement prevailed in every part 
of the Union. 

On the same day, John Van Burcn wrote a 
letter to the Chairman of the Freesoil State 
Committee of Connecticut, which was read at the 
State Convention of that party. It urged that 
" there never was a time when those who desired 
to see slavery prohibited in the territories, were 
more urgently called upon to speak and act with 
energy and decision. They should hold their 
representatives to a rigid responsibility, and dis- 
miss them if they falter or betray their trust." 
He spoke of the men at Washington " of trans- 
cendent ability and courage — King, Wilmot, 
and Giddings ;" charged that Col. Forney had 
been defeated for Clerk of the House of Repre- 
sentatives " by the defection of the Southern 
Democrats," and denounced " the Slave Power" 
in the usual vein. The letter was looked upon 
as a notification to the friends of Mr. Dickinson, 
that no appeals to " union and harmony" should 
be able to save him — his term in the Senate 
being about to expire the next winter. 

The primary elections in New York city for 
the choice of the Democratic General Commit- 
tee, had been called by the Committee of 1849, 
so as only to invite a participation of Cass or 
Hard Democrats. Nevertheless, upon the orga- 
nization of the new Committee, George H. Pur- 
ser, Isaiah Rynders, Robert Kellij, Thomas K. 
Downing, and Miller, presented them- 
selves to claim seats. All these persons, except 
Rynders, (said to have voted for Taylor,) had 
been Van Buren and Adams Freesoilers. The 
Hard majority of the new Committee declined 
the association, and passed the following resolu- 
tions on the 9 th February : 

" Resolved, That the individuals in this Com- 
mittee who voted against Cass and Butler, at 
the last Presidential election, viz : Rynders, 
Purser, Downing, Kcllij, and Miller, be expelled 
from this Committee, inasmuch as at the last 
meeting a resolution was passed by the Com- 



21 



mittee, declaring ineligible, as members there- 
of, any person who voted against Cass and 
Butler. 

" Resolved, That we deem the Union of the 
American States the primary political object of 
all true Democrats. 

" Resolved, That we continue to regard Mar- 
tin Van Buren as a traitor and an iugrate, and 
to detest those who support the infamous 
coalition formed at Buffalo, by Whigs, Negroes, 
and the so-called leaders of the Van Buren fac- 
tion. 

" Resolved, That we are opposed to the Wil- 
mot Proviso, as the expression of a political 
heresy in violation to the Constitution, and dan- 
gerous to the perpetuity of the Union. 

" Resolved, That a meeting of the Democratic 
Republican party be called at Tammany Hall, 
at an early day, to express the voice of the Dem- 
ocracy of the great City of Xew York, in favor 
of the preservation of our glorious Union." 

These ejected members at once retired and 
formed a new Committee, composed of Softs and 
Freesoilers, of which Fernando Wood was 
chosen Chairman. The Hard or National 
Committee elected Henry M. Western, Chair- 
man, and fixed the mass meeting called as above 
for the 15th inst. The call embraced " all De- 
mocrats opposed to the Wilmot Proviso." 

On the appointed evening, before the hour of 
assembling, the hall was burst into by a party 
of fighting men, led by Isaiah Rynders and Al- 
exander Ming, (Softs,) the platform taken pos- 
session of, and Elijah F. Purdy, (Soft,) placed 
in the chair. Messrs. Dillon, Sickles, and other 
members of the Hard Committee were driven 
out of the room. Messrs. Purdy, Rynders, and 
Lorenzo JS.S/iepard made Soft speeches ; George 
H. Purser was also present on the platform. 
Resolutions were presented declaring that the 
" divisions in the Democratic party were adjust- 
ed on the basis of leaving the causes of irritation 
to individual opinion ;" " that we do not re- 
gard the slavery question in any form of its 
agitation or any opinion in relation thereto as a 
test of political faith ;" ai.d that the power of 
Congress and the particular modes of legislation 
as to slavery, are " controverted opinions among 
Democrats," unessential to fellowship. These 
were declared passed, the fighting men and Softs 
vociferating aye, and the lookers-on remaining 
silent. 

The Hard General Committee, Young Mens' 
Committee, and a number of leading Hard 
Hunkers in the city, at once signed and publish- 



this meeting, and of the violence used by the 
rowdies who controlled it, and repudiating all 
coalition with Freesoilers who were unwilling to 
cease their demand for the Wilmot Proviso. 
They called a second meeting at Tammany, on 
the 25th February. This was signed by Henry 
M. Western, Edward C. West, Robert J. Dil- 
lon, Augustus Schell, Thomas J. Barr, James 
T. Brady, John M. Bradhurst, Alexander F. 
Vache, Francis B. Cutting, Charles O'Coxor, 
Edward Strahan, and others. 

This Hard or National meeting came ofif on 
the appointed evening, and, precautions having 
been taken by the police, was undisturbed by 
the Soft and Freesoil rowdies. John M. Brad- 
hurst presided, and among the Vice-Presidents 
were J. Sukrman Browxell, Mike Walsh, Alex- 
ander F. Vache, &c. Among the Secretaries, 
Florence McCarthy, Thomas C. Field, Joseph 
T. Sweet, and Ulysses D. French. Mr. Strahan 
read a series of resolutions drawn up by Mr. 
Dillon, which we give entire. 

WiiERKAS, recent events have disclosed to the 
people of the United States, a settled purpose 
on the part of certain politicians and fanatics, 
to create a geographical party based upon a 
sectional issue, and with that view, have endea- 
vored to excite and foster sectional animosities, 
arraying one portion of the Union against the 
other, in violation of that spirit of fraternity on 
which the Union is based, and by which, we 
trust, it will be rendered perpetual. 

And u-hereas, the formation of governments 
for the new Territories of the United States, 
purchased by the blood and treasure of the 
whole people, has been made the occasion lor car- 
rying into practical effect the schemes of those 
demagogues and fanatics. 

And icherens, those persons have basely and 
untruly represented to the Southern People, that 
the Democracy in the Northern States shared 
their resentments and coincided in their senti- 
ments, whereby the bonds of the Union have 
been weakened, and the Union itself threatened 
with dissolution. 

And whereas, the People, too long silent un- 
der these imputations, deem it now necessary to 
discard mere politicians, take their affairs into 
their own hands, and declare the sentiments 
which will constitute the basis of their political 
course for the present and in the future. 

Now, therefore, the Democracy of the City 
and County of New York, in public meeting 
assembled, do hereby declare and resolve — 

First, That the American Union, fostered in 
its infancy by the wise conciliation of our fathers, 
and consecrated in its growth by a thousand 
glorious recollections in peace and in war, is an 



ed a statement next day, giving an account of object of paramoimt importance and a source of 



22 



unnumbered blessings to our People. Concilia- 
tion called it into being ; simple, cveu-handed 
JUSTICE will preserve it forever. 

Second, That we regard, with filial veneration, 
the Constitution of the United States which 
unites in common bonds this glorious Confeder- 
acy of Free and Sovereign States, and that, 
Avhile each State and its citizens are entitled to 
share the blessing, so, also, each State and its 
citizens are bound to fulfill, in sincerity and good 
faith, the duties and commands of that sacred 
Instrument. 

Third, That the Constitution having provid- 
ed that " no person, held to service or labor in 
one State under the laws thereof, escaping into 
another, shall, in consequence of any law or reg- 
lUation therein, be discharged I'rom such ser- 
vice or labor, but shall be delivered up on claim 
of the party to whom such service or labor may 
be due," it is the duty of the several States, and 
their Judicial and Executive officers and citi- 
zens, strictly and in good faith to carry out that 
provision of the Constitution, and neither by 
legislation, nor by judge made law, nor from mis- 
taken sympathy, to disregard its meaning or 
evade its commands. 

Fourth, That the United States is a govern- 
ment of limited power ; that no powers can be 
exercised by Congress, except such as are speci- 
fically granted ; that it is the pride and glory of 
the Demecratic party to have adopted, as the 
cardinal principle of their political faith, the 
strict construction of the Constitution, and the 
rejection of all doubtful powers ; that, by this 
l)rinciple alone, centralization has been prevent- 
ed, and the extension of the Union, from Maine 
to Texas, from the Atlantic to the Pacific, in 
one vast Confederacy of numerous States, each 
under its own system of self-government, has 
been rendered not only possible, but beneficent. 

Fifth, That the Constitution of the United 
States has not granted to Congress the power 
either to establish or to abolish domestic slavery 
in the States or in the Territories of the United 
States. 

Sixth, That the Constitution has not granted 
to Congress the power to impose any qualifica- 
tion or restriction upon the admission of new 
States into the Confederacy, except only that 
their form of government be republican ; that 
every State, upon its admission, being sovereign 
in all matters relating to its domestic institu- 
tions, any interference therewith by Congress 
would be alike unconstitutional and nugatory. 

Seventh, That we will hail with delight the 
admission of California, the bright star of the 
Pacific, into the galaxy of American States ; 
that, having framed her government in republi- 
can form, and thereby complied with the Con- 
stitution of the United States, she is entitled to 
be admitted immediately, with such boundaries 
as are just to her and to our Confederacy. 

Eighth, That the Territories of the' United 
States belong to the several States— that they 
are entitled to Territorial governments — in or- 
ganizing which, the principle of self-government, 



on which our federal system rests, will be best 
promoted, the true meaning and spirit of the 
Constitution observed, and the Confederacy 
strengthened, by allowing the local Legislatures 
to enact such domestic laws as are agreeable to 
them, and not inconsistent with the rights of the 
several States. 

Ninth, 'J'hat the Wilmot Proviso, requiring 
Congress to impose restrictions upon the Con- 
stitutions of new States and upon the govern- 
ments of the Territories, is a political heresy un- 
known to the Fathers of the Eepublic, and has 
no warrant in the Constitution of the United 
States. We pronounce it to be justly offensive 
to the Southern people, utterly useless for any 
good purpose — a scheme of disappointed politi- 
cians to procure against the South revenge for 
supposed slights — a pernicious effort to estab- 
lish geographical parties — a device, in all re- 
spects, inexpedient and wicked. 

Tenth, That the recent resolutions of the 
Legislature of this State, forced through by the 
combined strength of Whigs and Freesoilers, 
instructing our Representatives in Congress to 
vote for and insist upon the Wilmot Proviso in 
its most odious form, were calculated to disturb 
the harmony of the Union, and merit our unqua- 
lified condemnation. Passed at this painful cri- 
sis of our National affairs, they are a proof, at 
once, of the blindness of party and the madness 
of fanaticism — but we rejoice to say that they 
utterly misrepresent the sentiments of the loyal 
people of this State. 

Eleventh, That William H. Seward, a Sena- 
tor of this State, in presenting to the Senate of 
the United States, and moving to refer to a 
committee, a petition for the dissolution of the 
Union, under the poor pretence of reporting rea- 
sons against its adoption, abused the sacred 
right of petition, insulted the Senate and the 
people, and debased himself. We hope that this 
may be the last drop in the bitter cup of politi- 
cal humiliation offered to the people of this 
State, through the treachery and weakness of 
meawhom she has elevated to high distinction. 

Tivelfth, That the patriotism of Lewis Cass, 
in endeavoring to heal the distractions of the 
country, on the basis of equal justice to all por- 
tions of the Union — the unflinching co-opera- 
tion of Senator Dickinson in the same honorable 
vocation — and the manly refusal of [Messrs. Al- 
len, Davis, James Monroe, and Waters, mem- 
bers of the Assembly from this city, to vote for 
the recent factious and disorganizing resolutions 
in the Legislature, demand the warmest thanks 
of a grateful people ; and the officers of this 
meeting are instructed to send to each of these 
gentlemen a copy of these resolutions. 

Thirteenth, That the permanence of the Ame- 
rican Union depends on the maintenance of 
those principles to which the Democratic party 
has ever adhered, amongst which a strict re- 
gard for State Rights has ever been, as it ever 
should be, prominent ; and we deem it indispen- 
sible to the union of our party on principle, the 
only union worthy any regard, that opposition 



23 



to the Wilmot Proviso for any reason satisfac- 
tory to individual opinion, should be inscribed 
on our banner, in common with the other glo- 
rious mottoes which adorn it, to abide there 
through all time and to be sustained at all haz- 
ards. 

Letters were read from Messrs. Dickinson and 
Cass ; and Robert H. Morris, Mike Walsh, and 
others spoke. This meeting was a very success- 
ful one, the hall was crowded, and the audience 
enthusiastic. 

A great Union Meeting in favor of the Clay 
Compromise was held in Castle Garden on the 
22d. Mayor Woodhull presided, and the other 
officers were made up exclusively from the Hards 
and Silver-Grays. Among the former were 
Timothy Daly, Frederick R. Lee, &c. Resolu- 
tions were passed approving the proposed Com- 
promise, and the meeting was address by 
Nicholas Dean, James R. Whiting, Gen. Scott, 
and others. A Union Safety Committee was 
formed. 

On the 27th of March, a caucus of Soft and 
Freesoil members of the Legislature elected Sen- 
ator Charles A. Mann, Freesoil, their Chairman, 
and recommended that he unite with Mr. Pruyn, 
Chairman of the Hunker State Committee, in 
calling a State Convention on the 11th Septem- 
ber, at Syracuse, the day and place suggested 
by that State Committee. 

In April, a charge made in the House of Rep- 
resentatives by Preston King against Howell 
Cobb, of Georgia, of having " mutilated the 
Congressional Record," excited much interest. 
The matter was referred to a Committee, the 
report of which utterly refuted and rebuked the 
allegation. 

In the same month, a scene occurred in the 
United States Senate, between Messrs. Foote 
and Benton, in which the former drew a pistol, 
which Mr. Dickinson captured from him and 
locked up in his own desk. In commenting 
on this undignified scene, the Albany Atlas, 
(Soft.) charged that the " insolence of the South- 
ern Hotspurs is backed up by Webster, Clay, 
Cass, and Dickinson, all of whom are vain and 
weak enough to expect political preferment, and 
have been made to believe by the South that 
they, or rather some of them, are the Men of the 
Nation." 

After long and exciting debate a Committee 
of thirteen was at last raised in the United 
States Senate, to whom the questions involved 



in the admission of California into the Union 
and the organization of governments for the new 
territories, were referred. This Committee con- 
sisted of Messrs. Clay, Dickinson, Phelps, of 
Vermont ; Bell, of Tennessee ; Cass, Webster, 
Berrien, of Georgia ; Cooper, of Pennsylvania ; 
Downs, of Louisiana ; King, of Alabama ; Man- 
gin, of North Carolina ; Mason, of Virginia, 
and Bright, of Indiana. 

The Committee reported a bill for the settle- 
ment of the disputed Slavery questions, which 
was dubbed the " Omnibus" bill, and generally 
known by that name. 

The Tammany Society, in which the Hards 
or Nationals were then in the ascendant, held a 
public dinner on the 13th of May, Francis B. 
Cutting presided, and Jared W. Bell, Henry 
Storms, Jacob Brush, Ulysses D. French, and 
others acted as Vice-Presidents. The toasts 
were eminently patriotic and national, and Gen. 
Cass and Mr. Dickinson were specially remem- 
bered. In a letter Mr. Dickinson enclosed the 
following toast : 

" Freedom and Slavery : the former best 
illustrated by permitting each political commu- 
nity to choose and erect their own domestic in- 
stitutions ; the better, by their neighbors doing 
it for them." 

Letters were also read from Vice-President 
Dallas, Edwin Croswell, Gov. Seymour, of Con- 
necticut, &c. 

On the 20th May, a letter was addressed by a 
large number of Hard Democrats of New York, 
Kings, Queens, Richmond, and Westchester 
counties to Mr. Dickinson, inviting him to at- 
tend a public dinner, which he accepted, and the 
dinner was arranged to be given in Tammany 
Hall on the 17th June. Among the signers of 
the invitation were Charles O'Conoe, Augus- 
tus ScHELL, Daniel B. Taylor, Elijah Ward, 
Gideon J. Tucker, together with most of the 
leaders of that wing of the party in the city ; 
Henry C. Murphy, and others of Kings; 
Aaron Ward, of Westchester, &c. 

The Evening Post and Albany Atlas seized 
on this correspondence as an opportunity to 
attack Senator Dickinson, and declared their 
determination that that gentleman should not be 
re-elected to the Senate. Their Soft echoes 
throughout the State followed their lead with 
more or less boldness ; but the announcement 
was, in the main, fairly and openly made, that 
the next U. S. Senator should be any body 



24 



rather than Mr. Dickinson, and that a Freesoil 
Whig would be preferable to a National Demo- 
crat of the Hard school who had resisted the 
blessed " union of the party." 

The Dinner to Mr. Dickinson came off with 
much eclat. Cuarles O'Conor presided, and 
the Vice-Presidents were John D. Van Buren, 
Royal Phelps, John A. Lott, and Aaron Ward. 

Mr. Dickinson delivered a long and able 
Union speech, declaring his support of the non- 
intervention theory, and his intention to vote for 
all the Compromise bills, including that for the 
reclamation of fugitives from service. Samuel 
Beardsley also responded to a toast, as did 
John W. Forney, of Philadelphia, Gen. Wright, 
of New Jersey, and other gentlemen. Many 
letters were received from invited guests. Among 
them Gen. Cass remarked, " I have observed 
with pride and pleasure the conduct of your 
Senator during this whole unhappy controversy, 
and never was a State represented in the coun- 
cils of our country with more patriotism, firm- 
ness, and consistency." Mr. Buchanan spoke 
of Mr. Dickinson as " the prompt and powerful 
defender of the Union and the Constitution 
against the assaults of Abolitionists and Free- 
soilers. Well may the Empire State point to 
hun as one of her brightest jewels !" Mr. Dallas 
termed him " the patriot Senator of New York, 
so eminent, so honorable, and so useful." Even 
Mr. Marcy indicated his " personal regard for 
that gentleman, respect for his talents, and ap- 
proval of his wise and patriotic course in the 
Senate." 

The Albany Atlas, per contra, said of Mr. 
Dickinson and the dinner : 

" Mr. Dickinson's term expires, as do those of 
Webster, Cass, Bright, and Sturgeon, in 1851. 
If this demonstration is the intimation of a pur- 
pose to force Mr. Dickinson's pretensions to a 
continuance in his present seat upon the Demo- 
cratic party, it will be resisted with a power and 
unanimity throughout the State, that tiiese New 
York gentlemen do not dream of. The Demo- 
crats of the State will not be dictated to, and 
the threat of creating a rupture in the party, if 
disobeyed, has no more terror for them than the 
menaces of sectionalism and faction in other 
(Southern) quarters, put forth against the Union 
of the States." 

The Albany Argus, (Hard,) called attention to 
" this gross attack upon him (Mr. Dickinson) and 
the avowal of a determination to defeat him by 
those who, in the same breath, prate about 
" Democratic Union." 



A State Convention was then called by the 
Hunker State Committee and the Chairman of 
the Legislature caucus, conjointly, for the 11th of 
September, at Syracuse. 

In consequence of the existence of two Gen- 
eral Committees, Hard and Soft, at Tammany 
Hall, a County Convention had been recom- 
mended by the Sachems, to undertake concilia- 
tion, and that Convention met and held some 
meetings. It finally attempted a proclamation 
of principles, which was adopted in the shape of 
an address and resolutions, by 43 to 10. The 
resolutions declared an attachment to the Union 
and Constitution, and disclaimed the " Wilmot 
Proviso." John Cochrane proposed and sus- 
tained an amendment to these, declaring the 
power of Congress over slavery '• a controverted 
question," that its exercise was " sanctioned by 
precedent," &c. — which was voted down by the 
Hard majority. 

On the 9 th July, Gen. Taylor suddenly died, 
and the accession of Mr. Fillmore, to the Presi- 
dency, brought about a serious division, at once, 
in the Whig ranks. 

On the 21st June, John Van Buren wrote to 
a Jefferson county Freesoil Convention a letter 
declaring his determination to continue the anti- 
slavery agitation. 

Upon Mr. Fillmore leaving the post of Presi- 
dent of the Senate to assume the Chief Magis- 
tracy, Mr. Dickinson was nominated by Dem- 
ocratic Senators for the office — which is equiv- 
alent to the Vice-Presidency. He declined, 
and the name of William R, King was placed 
in nomination, who was unanimously elected. 
Mr. Dickinson, in declining, referred to the cir- 
cumstance that Mr. Fillmore and himself were 
from the same State. 

On retiring from the Senate, Mr. Webster 
wrote the following letter to Mr. Dickinson : 

" Washington, September 27, '50. 
" My Dear Sir : 

" Our companionship in the Senate is dissolved. 
After this long and most important session, you 
are about to return to your home ; and I shall 
try to find leisure to visit mine. I hope we may 
meet each other again, two months hence, forthe 
discharge of our duties, in our respective stations 
in the government. But life is uncertain, and I 
have not felt willing to take leave of you, with- 
out placing in your hands a note, containing a 
few words which I wish to say to you. 

" In the earlier part of our acquaintance, my 
dear sir, occurrences took place, which I remem- 



25 



ber with constantly iucrcasiug paiu, because the •' Some of them will uot go back (to Oon- 
more I have known of you, th6' greater have gross.) This State will send to the next Con- 
been my esteem for your character, and my re- gress a majority of Democrats of the delegation, 
spect for your talents. But it is your noble, sound radical men, who know of no compro- 
able, manly, and patriotic conduct, in support of mise to which they owe fealty." 
the great measures of this session, which has 



entirely won my heart, and secured my highest 
regard. I hope you may live long, to serve 
your country ; but I do not think you are ever 
likely to see a crisis, in which you may be 
able to do so much, either for your own distinc- 
tion, or for public good. You have stood where 
others have fallen ; you have advanced with firm 



The State Convention of Democrats, Free- 
soilers, and Softs, met at Syracuse, at the ap- 
pointed day. Among the Hard or National 
delegates were John H. Reynolds, (then) of 
Columbia ; Winslow C. "Watsox, of Essex ; 
Charles O'Coxor and Hexrv J. Allex, of 
and manly step where others have wavered, fal- ^^^ ^ork ; Sam Fowi.er, of Orange ; James F 
tered, and fallen back, and, for one, 1 desu-e to ' ' , , „ 

thank you, and to commend your conduct, out Bartle, oI Wayne, ^-c. Among the Softs and 
of the fulness of an honest heart. Freesoilers, L. P. Wetherbij, of Allegany ; Hora- 

" This letter needs no reply ; it is, I am aware, Uo Ballard, of Cortland ; John Van Buren, of 
of very little value ; but I have thought you ^^^ York ; Wm. A. Beach, (then) of Saratoga • 
might be willmg to receive It, and, perhaps, to ,^.^^ tr_.,...,._,, „f xt.-„„L„ . t/a;,.„„. ''^' 
leave it where it would be seen by those who 



may come after you. 

" I pray you, when you reach your own thres- 
hold, to remember me most kindly to your wife 
and daughter ; and I remain, my dear sir, with 
the truest esteem, 

" Yr. Friend and Ob. Servt., 

"Danl. Webster. 
" Hon. l)anl. S. Dickinson, 
" U. S. Scnnte" 

The Freesoilers celebrated the anniversary of 



Wm. Vandcrvoort, of Niagara ; William C. 
R/iodcs, of Steuben. The Hards had, at first, a 
majority in this Convention. Jesse C. Dann, 
Hard, was admitted to a seat, in place of J. F. 
Starbuck, of Jefl'erson, by .59 to 51. The next 
morning, however, the Softs rallied and admitted 
both the Hard and Soft claimants (Messrs. Johx 
H. Reyxolds and Tilden) from the second dis- 
trict of Columbia county ; the Jefferson case 
was then reconsidered, and Mr. Starbuck ad- 



the passage of the Ordinance of 1787, at Herki- mitted to share the seat of Mr. Dann. The scale 



mer, and very ultra anti-slavery speeches were 
made. 

On the 31st of July, the Compromise bill 
came up in the U. S. Senate, and portion after 
portion was stricken out till nothing was left of 
it but the ijrovisions contemplating the establish- 
ment of a Territorial government (without the 
Proviso) for Utah, which was ordered to a 
third reading. This '• upsetting of the Omni- 
bus," was greatly rejoiced over by the Free- 
soilers, and National men contemplated the 
danger of the country with alarm. 

Another effort was, however, made and a bill 
organizing a Territorial government for New 
Mexico, to go into eflect after the boundary 
with Texas should be settled, was next got 
through the Senate. Then the California Ad- 
mission bill ; the Fugitive Slave bill, and the 
bill relative to slavery in the District, were suc- 
cessively passed. These bills subsequently pass- 
ed the House, and were signed by the President. 



now turned in favor of the Softs, and Horatio 
Ballard, of Cortland, was admitted alone, and 
his contestant, Henry Stephens, Hard, rejected. 
Isaiah Rynders, was then admitted over John Y. 
Savage, and John Van Buren over Augustus 
ScHELL, from New York. Thus rc-inforced the 
Softs were much in the majority. 

A Stiite Committee was appointed, on which 
was a Soft majority : among its members were, 
/. V. L. Pruijn, Wdliam A. Beach, John Stry- 
Iccr, Dean Richmond, Softs, and Hexry AY. 
Rogers and Ausburx Birdsall, Hards. 

Lyman Tremain, of Greene, moved to add 
AYilliam L. Marcy to the Committee and make 
hull the Chairman thereof This was opposed by 
John Van Buren and other Freesoil Softs, and 
withdrawn. 

Charles O'Coxor I'eported the resolutions. 
The first declares the devotion of the party to 
the principles of Democracy as declared in 
1840, '44 and '48; the second, '"congratulates 



In the House they received the affirmative vote the country upon the recent settlement, by Con- 
of Hiram Walden, Hard, and were opposed by ftress, of the questions which have unhappily 
Preston King, Freesoil Soft. divided the people of these States ;" the third, 
The Albany Atlas threatened of " the Com- declares that the Democracy present their can- 
promise makers :" didates, relying upon the united and cordial 



26 



support of all who desire the ascendency of the 
ancient principles of the party ; the fourth and 
fifth, denounce the ■\\liig Federal and State 
administrations ; the sixth, deprecates sectional 
agitation. The reading of these Hard resolutions 
created great excitement in the Convention, and 
uiir explosion was threatened. 

F. J. Betts, Soft, of Orange, opposed the se- 
cond resolution. Henry Wager, Hard, of Onei- 
da, moved an amendment to the same resolution, 
expressing the approval of the Convention of the 
course of Mr. Dickinson in the Senate. The 
jirevious question was now moved, which, under 
the rules of the New York Legislature, cuts off 
ell amendments, and it was sustained. The 
< 'onvention thus came to a vote on the resolu- 
tions as reported, without opportunity for dis- 
cussion, and they were carried, the Hards and 
some Softs voting aye, and all the remainder 
of the Softs and Freesoilers in the negative. 
Among the ayes Avcre Hexry J. Allex, James 
P. Bartlk, Sam Fowler, and Charles O'Coxor. 
Among the nays, Win. Vandervoort, L. P. 
Wetherbij, William C. Rhodes, &c. There were 
18 absentees — Softs, who preferred to vote 
neither aye nor nay. 

The roll was then called, and the delegates 
nominated each his candidate for the Guberna- 
torial nomination, viva voce. Horatio Seymour 
was nominated on the first ballot, receiving the 
leport of the Softs and some of the Hards, but 
being supported almost unanimously by those 
who had opposed and voted against Mr. 
O'Coxor's resolutions, such as Messrs. Van- 
flervoort, Wctherby, &c. On motion of Mr. 
Ballard the nomination was made unanimous. 
Mr. Sei/moufs Hard opponents voted for 
Francis B. Cutting, of New York. 

Sanford E. Church, of Orleans, Solt, was 
then nominated for Lieutenant-Governor, most 
of the Hards voting for Sam Fowler, of Orange. 

Having thus nominated two Softs for the 
chief offices, the Softs conceded to the Hards 
the candidate for Canal Commissioner, and 
John C. Mather was nominated for that office. 
William P. Angel, of Cattaraugus, Soft, was 
then nominated for State Prison Inspector, over 
Henry Storms. So that the Hards had but one 
candidate out of four. It was remarked that 
'• the Hards had got the resolutions, but the 
Softs had got the men — who would repudiate 
them." 

The resolutions of the Convention were indeed 



violently attacked and utterly repudiated by the 
Soft press of 4he State, with but two or three 
exceptions. 

Some of them asserted that they did not, by 
reference to the '• Compromise," include and en- 
dorse the Fugitive law ; others asserted that 
among " the principles of the Democratic par- 
ty," Provisoism was included ; while others 
abandoned all attempt at a construction favor- 
able to their views, and denounced and " spit 
upon" the platform. 

The Tammany Society, although controlled 
by the Hards, having declined to interfere with 
the quarrel between the Hard and Soft General 
Committees in New York city, and the County 
Convention having failed to settle the difficul- 
ties, a recommendation was at last made by the 
Sachems that both Committees unite in ordering 
a new election, and then resign their functions. 
This was accepted, and acted upon by both, 
and the new Committee contained a large Hard 
majority. Edward C. W^est was chosen Chair- 
man, and soon after its organization a series of 
Hard resolutions on the slavery question was 
passed. 

The Whig State Convention met at Syracuse, 
September 27th, and nominated Washington 
Hunt (Seward) for Governor, and George J. 
Cornell (Fillmore) for Lieutenant. Eesolutions 
approving Mr. Seward"s course having been 
adopted by the majority, the minority, friends 
of Mr. Fillmore, seceded ; as they went out 
some person sneeriugly said (referring to the 
fact that most of the seceders were elderly men,) 
" there go the Silver-Grays !" This name adhered 
to the Fillmore Whigs for ever after. The sece- 
ders called a fresh Convention at Utica, which 
was held, and which re-nominated the same 
ticket set up by the Sewarditcs, so that the bolt 
amounted to nothing. 

Among the candidates of thb " Democratic" 
party for Congress in this year, were Joseph M. 
Marsh, Abraham P. Stephexs, Josiah Suther- 
land, Davio L. Seymour, J. W. Thompsox, 
Patrick G. Buchan, and other Hards ; and John 
Cochrane, Gilbert Dean, Preston King, Willard 
Ives, Thomas Y. How, Jr., James S. AVads- 
worth, and other Softs. In New York, Mr. 
Cochrane was obliged to pledge himself to vote 
against a repeal of the Fugitive Slave law be- 
fore the Hard Organ, (The Globe,) of that city, 
would hoist his name. 

In the Dutchess district the Hards required a 



27 



pledge from Gilbert Dean, which he signed in the 
following words : 

" I hereby acknowledge and submit, on the 
honor of a gentleman, that I will, if elected to a 
seat in the Thirty-second Congress, use all hon- 
orable endeavors to sustain the principles of the 
National Democracy, and will keep in view in 
all matters of District, State, and National poli- 
cv, the leading principles of Lewis Cass. 

" G. Dean. 

'^ Dated, Carrael, Oct. 25, 1850." 

In May, 1854, Mr. Dean spoke against the 
Kansas Nebraska bill, and in June recorded his 
vote against it. 

The New York Evening Post boasted that a 
large majority of the Democratic Congressional 
candidates, if elected, would vote to repeal the 
Fugitive Slave law, and called on the Softs to 
vote for none who did not stand on the platform 
of opposition. 

In New York city, the Hards succeeded in 
nominating several of the candidates for the As- 
sembly. The issue was Dickinson or anti-Dick- 
inson. The result was the election of but three 
Democratic members out of sixteen, from that 
city : Henry J. Allen, Michael Dougherty, 
and Albert A. Thompson, all Hard, Dickinson 
men ; although Mr. Dougherty was prevented 
by sickness from taking his seat. The Demo- 
cracy were badly beaten in the Legislature, every 
Dickinson candidate, or candidate considered 
favorable to his re-election, having been (as had 
been threatened) marked, and in most cases de- 
feated. 

Horatio 'Sei/mot'.r was defeated for Governor 
Ijy a few hundreds, but Sanford E. Church was 
chosen Lieutenant-Governor, Mr. Mather Canal 
Commissioner, and Mr. Angel Prison Inspector. 

Two-thirds of the Congressmen elected from 
this vState were Whigs, or Softs opposed to the 
Fugitive Slave law, and elected as advocates of 
its repeal. 

The opening of the year 1851, was signalized 
by the Albany Atlas, and other Soft and Whig 
presses opposed to the Fugitive Slave law, 
demanding the passage of a State law similar to 
that of Vermont, nullifying the Congressional 
statute. The Atlas regretted that the privilege 
of passing such a law did tot devolve upon a 
" Democratic Governor and Legislature," which 
remark as coming from a print enjoying the 
confidence of Mr. Seymour, and speaking for the 
Softs, excited some notice. 



The language of the Atlas was echoed by The 
Seneca Observer, edited by C. Scntell, as fol- 
lows : 

" We recognize the right of Congress to pass 
a bill for the reclamation of fugitive slaves, but 
at the same time, as the duty of rcturniug u 
fugitive slave to bondage would be a grateful 
task to only a small portion of our northern 
population, such a law should not lie made more 
repulsive and odious to freemen, than it must 
necessarily be, and should particularly guard the 
rights of those whom fraud and villany may 
choose to assail through the means it provides. 
The Fugitive Slave law aims at nothing but 
the return of a fugitive slave, and to accomplish 
it, it proceeds in the most summary maunci-, 
without regard to the rights of any other per- 
son than a slave-holder. By doing so. Congress 
compels the States to adopt such measures as 
they may constitutionally enact to protect those 
within their jurisdiction, and stimulates them to 
do so ))y the passage of the most iinjmt and 
odious law ever enacted by that Ijody." 

In the Assembly, this year, the " Democratic" 
minority numliered among its members only 
nine Hards, to such a point had " union and har- 
mony" reduced the National party. The large 
majority of " Democrats" were Softs and Free- 
soilers. In the " Democratic" caucus most of 
the Hards refused to participate, owing to the 
rejection of resolutions offered by Mr. Thompson, 
of New York, favoring the Compromise meas- 
ure of the late session of Congress, and pledg- 
ing the party to sustain them. Noble S. Elder- 
kin, Soft, was then nominated for Speaker. 
Henry J. Raymond. Seward Whig, was elected 
Speaker by the Whig majority, and Richard U. 
Sherman, of the same party, Clerk. 

On the 10th of January, Mr. Coffin introduced 
his Personal Liberty bill, similar to the Ver- 
mont Nullification law. Mr. Thompson (Hard) 
opposed its introduction, and leave was granted, 
upon ayes and nays, 103 to 19. The following 
was the vote of the " Democratic" members : 

Aijes, Perry, of Albany ; Congdou, of XWq- 
gany ; Calvin, of Cayuga ; Minier, of Chemung ; 
Doyle, of Delaware ; Stewart, of Fulton & Ham- 
ilton ; Wooster and Shall, of Herkimer ; Pool 
and Bushnell, of Jefferson ; Snell, of Montgom- 
ery ; Rider, of Oneida ; Le Roy. Clark, and Den- 
nison, of Onondaga ; Burroughs, of Orleans : 
Hatch and Lewis, of Oswego ; Wright and Cof- 
fin, of Otsego ; W. Russell and 0. A. Thomp- 
son, of Rensselaer ; Horton and Elderkin, of 
St. Lawrence ; Rockwell and Lawver, of Scho- 



^ 



liarie ; Higby, of Steuben ; Smith, of Suffolk ; 
Stratton, of Sullivan; Davis, of Ulster; Xoble, 
of Warren; and Jayue, of Yates — 33. All 
Softs. The remainder of the ayes, Whigs. 

Absent, Babcock, of Albany, and Stilwell, of 
St. Lawrence — 2, both Softs. 

Naijfi — IIenrv J. Allen, of New York ; 
Barnes, of Orange ; Brown, of Putnam ; 
French, of Madison ; Robinson, of Dutchess ; 
William F. Russell, of Ulster ; J. J. Sic- 
kles, of Rockland; and A. A. Thompson, of 
New York— 8; all Hards, with 11 Silver- 
Grays. 

On the 14th January, Mr. Thompson intro- 
duced his resolutions into the Assembly, being 
the same above alluded to. They were referred 
to the .Judiciary Committee. On the 17th, Mr. 
Thompson introduced other resolutions, rescind- 
ing the Wilmot Proviso resolutions of instruc- 
tion passed by the Legislature of 18.50, and also 
disapproving of the course of Mr. Seward, and 
approving that of Mr. Dickinson. These took 
the same direction. Mr. Anthon, of Richmond 
(Fillmore or Silver-Gray Whig) also oifered 
Compromise resolutions, which were similarly 
referred. Upon the Judiciary Committee there 
was but one Hard member. 

The Hard members of the Assembly having 
addressed to Mr. Dickinson a letter, indicating 
their desire to cast their votes for his re-elec- 
tion, although well aware that he could not be 
chosen, that gentleman, on the 20th January, 
addressed to Messrs. Allen, Russell, French, 
and their associates, a reply in which he review- 
ed, briefly, the history of the Compromise meas- 
ures, spoke of the condition of affairs in New- 
York, as being " the legitimate fruits of an effort 
to harmonize, by Conventional arrangement, 
hostile and conflicting elements," and added a 
reference to the fact that " the arrangement 
termed a union," between Democrats and Free- 
soilers had been " carried out, as I had no doubt 
it would be, in most of the Assembly districts, 
where true Democrats supposed to coincide in 
-ray own avowed views upon the leading ques- 
tions of the day, were in nomination ; by deliber- 
ately defeating their election, by open and de- 
clared opposition, in some instances, disguised, 
but not less active hostility in others, and by 
predetermination and concert in all." Mr. 
Dickinson proudly remarked that he considered 
this hostility of the Softs and Freesoilers to him as 
'• a flattering compliment to the integritv of his 



public course." He concluded by desiring that 
his name should not be used by his friends in the 
Legislature. 

The Hard majority of the City General Com- 
mittee of Bufftilo, on the 13th January, adopted 
strong resolutions in advocacy of the Compro- 
mise measures, and Fugitive Slave law, and in 
denunciation of the Coffin bill. 

On the 4th of February, the Senatorial Elec- 
tion came on. In the Assembly, Hamilton 
Fish received 78 votes to 29 for John A. Dix, 
(Soft,) 7 for James T. Brady, and one for John 
L. Riker, (Hards ;) and the rest scattered for 
W. L. Marcy, Levi S. Chatfield, Erastus Corn- 
ing, and Horatio Seymour, (Softs.) In the 
Senate, however, Mr. Fish was named by only 
16 Senators — James W. Beekraan, (Fillmore 
"Wliig,) refusing to vote for him, and 15 Hards 
and Softs scattering their votes, and, without 
making choice, the Senate adjourned. 

Thus the election failed. The Seward Whigs 
bitterly denounced the course of Mr. Beekman. 

On the 7th of February, the Albany Atlas 
became furious at the defeat of Charles Sum- 
mers for U. S. Senator, in Massachusetts, ex- 
claiming : 

" The Demagogues in Massachusetts. — It 
seems that a few politicians in Massachusetts, 
under the lead of Gen. Gushing, have again de- 
feated an election. It is only the venal politi- 
cians of the Ritchie School that are thus playing 
into the Whig hands." 

The 22d of February, was celebrated in New 
York by the " Union Safety Committee," and 
the friends of the Compromise measures. Wash- 
ington's Farewell Address was read by James 
T. Brady, and an oration delivered by Henry S. 
Foote, of Mississippi. Letters were read from 
President Fillmore, Webster, Cass, Dickinson, 
Clay, Buchanan, and others. 

The Syracuse Standard, (Soft,) edited by 
Patrick H. Agan, of the 7th March, said edi- 
torially : 

" George Thompson, Gerrit Smith, Frederick 
Douglas, and Stephen S. Foster, those devoted 
friends of Uherty, and able advocates of the Rights 
of man, are in Syracuse, and will l)e in attend- 
ance?at the Anti-Slavery Convention, to beheld 
in our City Hall to-day and to-morrow." 

This Convention was held and was marked 
by unusually ultra resolutions and speeches. 
On Ihe 4t]i of March. Moses D. Burnett, 



29 



Hard, was elected Mayor of Syracuse, by an 
unusual and unexpected majority. 

About the same time Nicholas E. Paine, 
Hard, was chosen Mayor of Rochester. Also 
James Wadsworth, (Soft,) was elected Mayor 
of Buffiilo, by the " United Democracy." After 
his election a letter from Mr Wadsworth was 
published, which, in the language of the Phelps 
Atlas, (Soft,) " not only adopts the Buffalo plat- 
form but adds considerably to its length and 
breadth," and which, certainly, avowed a disposi- 
tion to prevent theexcution of the Fugitive Slave 
law in Buffalo. 

On the 18th March, a joint resolution was in- 
troduced in the Senate, resolving that the Legis- 
lature would immediately proceed to elect a U. 
S. Senator. This was resisted by the opposi- 
tion members : Senators Brandreth, (Hard,) 
and Dart, (Soft,) being absent in New York. 
Telegraphic dispatches were sent to both these 
absentees, and the debate prolonged till the boat 
reached Albany from New York, when (after 
midnight) Senator Brandreth niade his appear- 
ance. Senator Dart had not come, and it was 
useless to delay the matter longer. The resolu- 
tion passed the Senate, and went to the House. 
Senator Beekman, meanwhile, had entered on 
the Journals his protest. The House adopted 
the joint resolution, suspending the rules for that 
purpose, and immediately proceeded to an elec- 
tion : Hamilton Fish receiving 68 (WTiig) votes, 
Dix 6, and the remainder of the Softs, with all 
the Hards, refusing absolutely to vote. In the 
Senate, Fish had 16 votes ; the two Hard Sen- 
ators voted, one for Dickinson, and one for 
A>Rox Ward ; and the Softs scattered on Di.x, 
H. Seymour, J. S. Wadsworth, and Arjihaxad 
Loomis. Mr. Beekman declining to vote. The 
two Houses then met and compared nominations, 
Lieutenant-Governor Church declared Mr. Fish 
duly elected, and the Legislature adjourned at 
half-past two o'clock, A. M. of the 19th. Sen- 
ator Dart was much blamed for his absence, but 
some of the Soft papers quietly remarked that 
perhaps it was best that the Hards should under- 
stand that Dickinson could not be re-elected, and 
the Whig majority soon after passed Mr. Dart's 
favorite bill through the Legislature, to authorize 
the Rouse Point Bridge. 

On the 15th of April, Andrew J. Donelson 
took charge of the Washington Union — Mr. 
Ritchie retiring. 

On the 7th of April, (tReenr C Broxsox re- 



signed the Dffice of Chief Justice of the Court of 
Appeals, and retired into private life, after a 
public service of a quarter of a century. 

A biU was introduced into the State Senate, 
proposing to provide for the enlargement and 
completion of the Canals, by the issue and sale 
of Canal Certificates based upon the Revenue 
of the Canals, and proposing to anticipate the 
Revenue for that i)urpose ; it, in fact, mort- 
gaged the Canal Revenues for 21 years, and pro- 
vided as to the management of the Canals. At- 
torney General Chatfield and John A. Dix, (Softs,) 
delivered opinions against the constitutionality 
of this law. 

On the 17th April, this bill came up for a 
third reading in the Senate, when the resignation 
of Senator Brown, (Hard,) and Senators Snyder, 
Curtis, Dart, Fox, Tuttle, Noyes, Mann, Stone, 
Skinner, Stanton, and Gunnip, (Softs,) twelve 
in all, was handed to the Chair. Mr. Carroll, 
(Soft.) then proposed that the Canal bill be 
postponed till after the Appropriation bills were 
passed, which was lost. Mr. Carroll then left 
the Senate, and that body fomid itself with- 
out a quorum for passing the Canal or other 
Appriation bills — these requiring the presence of 
twenty Senators, when but nineteen were pre- 
sent.- The Senate, therefore, passed a joint res- 
olution requesting Gov. Hunt to call an extra 
Session, and that the Legislature adjourn sine 
die. The Assembly concurred in these, and the 
regular Session came abruptly to an end. 

A Mass meeting was at once held at Albany, 
in opposition to the Canal bill, and in appro- 
bation of the course of the " Fugitive Senators," 
at which Horatio Seymour and John Van Buren 
spoke ; another meeting, at Utica, in opposition 
to the bill, at which Samuel Beardsley presided, 
at which he declared his opinion to be that the 
bill was unconstitutional ; another at Hudson, 
and at which resolutions, drawn by Josiah Suther- 
land, (who presided,) and which took the same 
ground, were passed ; and another at New 
York, where Robert H. Morris presided, Daniel 
E. Sickles reported the resolutions and Lorenzo 
B. Shepard spoke. The general opinion of both 
Hards and Softs, seemed to be in opposition to 
the bill. 

A re-assembling of members of the Constitu- 
tional Convention of 1846, for the purpose of 
protesting against this bill, was also invited, and 
came off in Albany on the l.'ith May. About 
twenty appeared — among Ihem Aarox Ward, 



30 



and Elisha B. Smith, and some thirty others 
sent letters. An address and resolutions were 
adopted. 

The Hards, while condemning the Canal bill 
as unconstitutional, held that the Senators 
should not have resigned, but should have 
allowed its passage and trusted to the courts to 
demolish it. The Softs, on the other hand, ap- 
plauded the resignations. The Hards consider- 
ed their position justified by the result of the 
special elections, ordered by the Governor, and 
which resulted in the defeat of Mr. Snyder by 
Mr. Halstead, (Whig,) Mr. Fox by Mr. Sanford, 
(Independent,) Mr. Mann by Mr. Huntington, 
(Whig,) Mr. Skinner by Mr. Lyon, (Independ- 
ent,) and Mr. Stebbins by Mr. Hatch, (Canal 
Soft.) Messrs. Brown, Curtis, Dart, Noyes, 
and Stanton were re-elected. All the resigning 
Senators were candidates for re-election, except 
Mr. Stone, in M'hose district Mr. Stebbins was 
nominated by the anti-Canal party. In the 
Steuben district there was a tie, and no elec- 
tion of Senator. 

During the canvass which thus resulted, John 
Van Buren and other leading Softs had taken 
strong and ultra Freesoil ground. In one speech 
Mr. Yau Buren claimed, as the result of the 
union of the Democratic party in this State* not 
only the defeat of Mr. Dickinson for the U. S. 
Senate, but alse the choice of sixteen " Dem- 
ocratic" members of Congress, of whom he assert- 
ed that " all but one"' were ready to vote for the 
repeal of the Fugitive Slave law. Although Mr. 
Van Buren, in this, overated the number of his 
friends in Congress, the assertion was noticed 
as evidencing the spirit in which the party 
•• union" was to be preserved, if at all. Mr. 
Van Buren also wrote, about the time of 
the rendition of a fugitive slave in that city, 
a letter to a Boston Committee of Abolition- 
ists, urging a resistance to the Fugitive Slave 
law. These declarations were endorsed by the 
Soft press, and appealed to by the Hards as a 
breach of the pledge of the resolutions of the 
State Convention of 1850. 

The Governor called an extra Session of the 
legislature, on the 1 0th of June, and the friends 
of the Canals at once proceeded to pass the bill. 
It passed the Senate on the 24th, by a vote of 20 
to 8, and went to the Assembly, which body 
passed it July 10, by a party vote. 

The 4th of July was celebrated by the Hard 
Sachems of Tammany Society, and letters were 



received from Messrs. Cass, Woodbury, Bu- 
chanan, Dickinson, Bronson, Gen. Wool, John 
C. Mather, A. Jackson Donelson, and Col. Page, 
of Philadelphia. 

Judge Bronson's letter contained this lan- 



" When the several States shall leara to mind 
their own business without meddling with the 
the affairs of others, and shall be faithful to the 
Constitution, as it is, without rejecting any part 
of it, the Union will stand too strong for its 
enemies without and within. And when the. 
Democracy shall build again on its old founda- 
tions, without constructing new platforms, to 
catch the factions of the day, it will regain its 
ascendancy in the State and the Nation." 

The Legislature passed a bill, dividing the 
State into Congressional Districts, and finally 
adjourned on the 11th of July. The Compro- 
mise resolutions, introduced by Messrs. Thomp- 
son and Anthon, had been buried in^ Com- 
mittee. 

The Democratic State Convention met at 
Syracuse on the appointed day. In the absence 
of the Chairman of the State Committee, Au.s- 
BiRN BiRDSALL, One of its members called the 
Convention to order and nominated Thomas B. 
Mitchell for Chairman, pro tern. Jerome J. 
Briggs, of Onondaga, move as an amendment 
that Lorenzo B. Sliepard be Chiarman pro ton, 
and that the vote l>e taken by secret ballot 
(so as to suit the Soft Hunkers, who did not 
not desire to be placed openly on record, as 
voting with the Freesoilers.) Mr. Birdsaij, 
moved an amendment to the amendment, that 
the vote be viva voce. This was defeated, 6.^ 
Softs voting for the ballot, and 57 Hards for 
the viva voce vote. A vote was then taken by 
ballot for temporary Chairman, which resulted, 
Shepard, 59 ; Mitchell, 52, Robert Halsey, of 
Tompkins, (Soft,) 8. There being no choice, 
Martin Grover, (Soft.) offered Mr. Halsey as 
a compromise candidate, and he was elected. 
Messrs. Dickie, of Erie, and Ludlov.% of Sufifolk, 
(both Softs,) were then appointed temporary 
Secretaries, and so the Hards lost the organiza- 
tion. 

The Committee on permanent officers, Wm. A. 
Dart, of St. LawTcnce, (Freesoil,) Chairman, re- 
ported Gen. Halsey for permanent President of 
the Convention. Mr. Maurice, (Hard,) from 
the minority, moved to substitute the name of ex- 
Governor William C. Bouck. of Schoharie. The 



31 



amendmeot was negatived, 67 to 5(j, and the re- 
port of the majority accepted. Gen. Halsey 
safe in the chair, the Hards received but little 
mercy. Henry J. Allex, of New York, 
Hexky C. Mckphy, of Kings, and other Hards, 
declined to act as Vice-Presidents. John Coch- 
rane moved that the Chair appoint a Conmiittec 
ou resolutions. Daniel E. Sickles, (then Hard.) 
moved an amendment that the delegates from 
the several districts appoint this Committee, and 
spoke at length, accusing Gen. Halsey, when a 
candidate for Congress, in 1850, of having 
avowed hunself an opponent to the Fugitive 
Slave law. Mr. Sickles's amendment was re- 
jected, and INIr. Coc/ij-onc's motion adopted. "W^hen 
the Committee on resolutions was named by the 
Chair, Francis B. Cutting, Edward C. West, 
PJmanuel B. Hart, Daniel E. Sickles, Henry J. 
7\iLEN, and Henry C. Murphy, successively de- 
clined to act upon it, its composition being evi- 
dently Soft by a large majority. Mr. Mm'ray, 
of New York, and Col. Sam Fowler, of Orange, 
(Hards,) were appointed to fill these vacancies. 
A State Committe, in which was a Soft majority, 
was appointed. 

The Conmiittee on resolutions had a long and 
difficult session. A resolution was proposed by 
Col. Fowler, in the following words : 

" Resolved, That the Democratic party of this 
State will faithfully adhere to the recent settle- 
ment by Congress of the questions which have 
unhappily divided the people of these States, 
and will neither countenance nor sanction any 
sectional agitation or legislation on the subjects 
embraced in the settlement." 

3Ir. Cochrane declared that he would never 
report such a resolution ; other Soft memliers of 
the fJommittee said the same thing, and it was 
rejected. Col. Fowler then gave notice of his 
purpose to offer it in Convention. 

Mr. Cochrane, the next morning, reported a 
series of resolutions mostly having reference to 
State pohtics, and Col. Fowler offered his reso- 
lution (as above) as an amendment. A long 
debate ensued. Col. Fowler's resolution was 
opposed by John C. Wright, James W. Nye, 
Lemuel Stetson, Darius jK. Ogden, Martin Gro- 
ver, and other Softs ; and advocated by Henry 
C. Mi-RPHY, Sam Fowler, David Wager, 
Charles Ga Nun, Orville Clark, and other 
Hards. It was alleged and admitted in the 
course of the argument, that the resolution ap- 
proving the Compromise measures adopted by 
tlie Convention of 1850, and reported by Mr, 



O'CoNOR, having been adopted before the news 
of the passage of t he Fugitive Slave law had 
reached that Convention, ought not to be con- 
sidered as endorsing that law, and that the reso- 
lutions reported by Mr. Cochrane at this time, 
were equally free of endorsing that law. A mo- 
tion to table the resolution of Col. Fowler 
was carried l)y a vote of Softs against Hards. 
31 r. Cochrane' s resolutions were then adopted, 
with some slight modifications, but still not 
touching the National issue. 

The Convention then went into secret ballot 
for nominations, and the following were made : 
.Tolin C. Wright, for Comptroller, on motion of 
Martin Grover ; Henry S. Randall, for Secre- 
tary of State, on motion of William C. Dryer ; 
Horace Wheaton, for Canal Commissioner, on 
motion of Henry J. Glowacki ; Levi S. Chat- 
field, for Attorney General, on motion of George 
Clark ; Benjamin Welch, Jr., for Treasurer 
(without motion ;) Alexander S. Johnson, of 
New York, for Judge of Appeals, all Softs. To 
the Hards were conceded William J. McAl- 
pine, for State Engineer, and Henry Storms, for 
Prison Inspector. 

Among the Hard delegates to this Conven- 
tion,' Avere Minor C. Story, Joseph M. Lyon, 
JouN A. Vanderlip, Thomas B. Mitchell, 
Joseph M. Marsh, David Moulton, William 
F. RussELi-, kc. Among the Softs, Nicholas 
Hill, Jr., Reuben E. Fcnton, W. Smith Ing- 
ham, Israel T. Hatch, William Kelly, James Vf. 
Nye, William H. Ludlow, John G. Floyd, D. 

A. Ogden. and John Cochrane. 

On the 4tli of October, the celebrated rescue 
(if the fugitive slave Jerry took place at Syra- 
cuse ; several leading Softs, such as Mayor Dov- 
nis McCarthy, Patrick H. Agan, (editor of The 
Standard.) Jerome J. Briggs, and others, sym- 
pathized strongly with the rescuers, and ap- 
plauded their work. The Standard went to the 
extreme of denunciation of the Fugitive law, 
and of approval of the violence which had been 
exhibited. The Soft Freesoil press of the State, 
including the Albany Atlas, Buffalo Republic, 
and New York Evening Post, echoed its lan- 
guage. Moses Summers, of the Standard, part- 
ner of Mr. Agan, was arrested for participating 
in the riot and rescue, and held to bail at Au- 
burn before the U. S. District Court in ^2,000. 
William H. Seward, E. W. Leavenworth, Chas. 

B. Sedgwick, and Charles A. AYheaton, being 
his sureties. Mr. Sixmmers and the other ac- 



32 



cased persons then spent the evening with Mr, 
Seward at his house, all which wius duly chron- 
icled in the papers of the day. 

A public demonstration of citizens of Syra- 
cuse and Onondaga county, " in favor of sustain- 
ing the Constitution and laws, desirous of ex- 
l>ressing their abhorrence and reprobation of the 
late infamous proceedings in that city by which 
the laws have been violated, the government 
temporarily subverted and disgrace fixed upon 
the town," was called by signature to meet on 
the 25th October. Among the 800 signatures 
we note the names of Moses D. Burnett, Sax- 
ford 0. Parker, Miles W. Bennett, J. J. Peck, 
J. A. Greene, &c. Mayor Burnett was nom- 
inated for Chairman, and at the same moment 
E. W. Leavenworth (Abolition "Whig) nominat- 
ed Alfred H. Hovey, a leading Soft, for that 
place. Mayor Burnett, had, however, the most 
votes, and took his seat, and after several re- 
newed attempts to create disturbanee, the oppo- 
nents of the object of the meeting left the room. 
'ITie meeting then proceeded ; it was a success- 
ful one, excellent National resolutions and a brief 
and well drawn address were adopted, the meet- 
ing adjourning with three cheers for the Consti- 
tution and the laws. 



The State election resulted in the choice of 
Henry S. Randall, Secretary of State ; John C. 
Wright, Comptroller ; Levi S. Chatfield, Attor- 
ney General ; Henry Storms, Prison Inspector ; 
William J. McAlpine, State Engineer; and 
Alexander S. Johnson, Judge of Appeals, on the 
'• Democratic" ticket ; and James M. Cook, Trea- 
surer ; and Henry Fitzhugh, Canal Commis- 
sioner, on the Whig ticket. ]\Ir. Welch after- 
wards was awarded the Treasury, on proof that 
certain misprinted ballots were intended for 
him. Mr. Wlieaton's defeat for Canal Commis- 
sioner, was undoubtedly due to his well under- 
stood sympathy with the Jerry rescuers, in con- 
sequence of which thousands of voters openly 
cut him off their tickets. The Canal Board was 
now entirely in the hands of the Softs and Free- 
soilers for the first time since the defeat of Silas 
Wright, in 1846. 

The Democratic State Committee met in 
Tammany Hall on the 25th of November, and 
directed that the District delegates to the Bal- 
timore Presidential Convention be elected by 
Congressional District Conventions to be held 
on the 8th of January, 1854. 



CHAPTER VII. 

From January, 1852 — to March, 1853. 

The Hard and Soft Presidential Delegates. The Baltimore Convention. Democratic 

State Convention of 1852. Defeat of Hard Congressmen by the Softs. Intrigues 

for a Cabinet Place. The unfortunate Selection of Mr. Marcy. 



Pursuant to the call of the State Commit- 
tee, Conventions were held, on the 8th of Janu- 
ary, in every Congressional district of the State, 
for the choice of district Delegates to Baltimore. 
The following were the delegates selected : 

Cass Men or Hard Hunkers. 

Diet. 

2 — Henry C. Muri'hy. 
3— Oliver Charlock. 
4 — James M. Bard. 
5 — Edward C. West. 
6 — Anthony Dugro. 
7 — Gustavus a. Conover. 
9 — Aaron Ward. 
16 — ^WiNSLOw C. Watson. 



18— Peter S. Danforth. 
20 — David Moulton. 
21 — Daniel S. Dickinson. 
29 — Horace Gay. 
33— Thomas J. Wheeler. 

Marcij Men. 
l_WilIiam T. McCoun, 
10— Chas. H. Winfield, 
11— Zadock Pratt, 
12 — John P. Beekman, 
13 — Robert Lottridge, 
1 4 — Er astus C orning, 
15 — Walter Geer, 
17 — William C. Crain, 



Freesoiler. 
Soft Hunker. 
Soft Hunker. 

Freesoiler. 
Soft Hunker. 
Soft Hunker. 
Soft Hunker. 

Freesoiler. 



Dlat. 

22— James W. Nye, 
23— Albert Fox, 
24 — Jerome J. Briggs, 
25— W. Smith Ingham, 
26— Helim Sutton, 
27— Moses E. Wright, 
28— Benj. F. Angel, 
30 — Martin Grover, 
31 — Luther Wilson, 
32 — James G. Dickie, 



Freesoiler. 

Freesoiler. 

Freesoiler. 

Freesoiler. 

Freesoiler. 

Freesoiler. 

Freesoiler. 

Freesoiler. 
Soft Hunker. 
Soft Hunker. 



The Eighth district was contested between 
Charles O'Conor, Hard, and Lorenzo B. Shep- 
ard, Soft. The Nineteenth district had failed to 
elect, and one of the two counties chose George 
Clark. In the Thirty-second district, a resolu- 
tion of instruction to the delegate to vote for 
Lewis Cass, was adopted, 58 to 8, and Major 
James G. Dickie appointed delegate. In the 
Twenty-sixth district, Henry B. Stanton moved 
a resolution of instruction in favor qf William 
L. Marcy, which was adopted. In the Twenty- 
eighth district, George Hastings moved a resolu- 
tion of preference for Marcy, which was adopted. 
In most of the other districts no resolutions were 
adopted. 

In February, Mr. Dickinson being invited to 
attend and address the Mississippi Democratic 
State Convention, Avrote a letter of great ability 
and power in I'cply. 

On the 14th January, the Tammany Demo- 
cratic General Committee organized. Augus- 
tus ScHELL, Chairman, and Joseph M. Marsh, 
Treasurer. There was a large Hard majority in 
the Committee. 

The Chairman of the State Committee, 
(Mayor Westervelt, of New York,) called the 
district delegates to meet at Albany on the 7th 
of April, to choose two delegates at large. At 
this meeting Mr.Corning, of Albany, was chosen 
Chairman of the delegation, and Messrs. An- 
gel and Conover, Secretaries. The delegation re- 
solved to consider and adjudicate on the con- 
tested seats, and a Committee, consisting of 
Messrs. Murphy, Danforth, Moulton, Briggs 
and Coats, (alternate for Nye,) was appointed 
to investigate the case of O'CoNOR and Shep- 
ARD. The Committee reported in favor of Mr. 
O'Conor ; Messrs. Briggs and Coats present- 
ing a minority report in favor of Mr. Shepard. 
Mr. Briggs moved to strike out from the ma- 
jority resolution the name of O'Conor and 
insert that of Shepard, which was carried, the 
5 



Softs voting aye and the Hards nay. Mr. 
Clark was then admitted to the seat from the 
l9th District. The result of the vote in the 
O'Conor case convinced the Cass Hards that 
they had no mercy to expect at the hands of 
the Softs and Frecsoilers. It was then re- 
solved, 21 to 12, to vote by ballot, and not viva 
voce, for two delegates at large, and Horatio 
Seymour and John B. Skinner, the Soft caucus 
candidates, were elected over Francis B. Cut- 
ling and H. .J. Hedfield, who received the votes 
of the Hards. Mr. Redfield, it was however 
stated at the time, did not agree with Mr. 
Cutting in Presidential preferences, the former 
being well known as a friend and the latter as 
an opponent of Mr. Marcy, and the proffer of 
these two by the Hards was made in an una- 
vailing spirit of '' harmony." 

In the Senate, the Softs had a large majority 
of the Democratic caucus. Among the Hard 
minority were -John Vandeheilt and Micajah 
W. Kirby. The Senate officers were mainly 
Freesoilers, but the post of Clerk was con- 
ceded to Ira P. Barnes, of Chenango, a Hard 
and a most efficient ofScer. In the Democratic 
Assembly caucus, Israel T. Hatch, Soft, was 
nominated for Speaker, but defeated in the As- 
sembly by the refusal of Mike Walsh to sup- 
port him ; Walsh having left the caucus with 
a distinct announcement of his determination 
never to support a Van Burcn man for office. 
The House organization was Whig throughout. 

The lettings by the Canal Board, for Canal 
enlargement under the Ciinal Revenue Certifi- 
cate law, came early before the Legislature 
for investigation, and in the Assembly the de- 
bate between Messrs. Van Santvoord, Walsh, 
and others, on the Hard side, and J. T. Hatch 
and others on the Soft side, entertained the 
spectators throughout the session. 

On the 11th of Ma}'-, the Court of Appeals, 
however, declared the Canal law void, and the 
enlargement and completion of the Public 
Works was thus again postponed indefinitely. 

In May, Robert G. Scott, of Virginia ad- 
dressed letters to Messrs. Cass, Buchanan 
Douglas, Marcy, Houston, Davis, Wool, 
Stockton, Rusk, Lane, W. R. King, Dickinson 
and Linn Boyd, asking their opinions on the 
Compromise measures and Fugitive Slave law. 
Mr. Dickinson replied, referring to his course 
in Congress, and stating that lie was not a can- 
didate for the Presidency. All the other gen- 



34 



tlemen addressed, also replied to Mr. Scott's 
interrogatories in a satisfactory manner. 

The National Convention met at Baltimore 
June 1st, 1852, and was called to order by 
Mr. Hallett, of Masrf., Chairman of the Stand- 
ing Committee. lion. Mr. Saunders, of North 
Carolina, was named temporary Chairman. 
On motion of General Aaron Ward, of New 
York, a Committee on Credentials, chosen by 
the respective State delegations, was appoint- 
ed. The Marc}'- majority of the New York 
delegation appointed on this Committee Gen. 
James W. Nye, with a view to the contested 
seat from Massachusetts, claimed by Rantoul, 
an Abolitionist and Marcy man, and by Lord, 
a Cass Hunker. Mr. Dickinson in vain pro- 
tested against the designation of Gen. Nye — 
Gen. Ward being entitled to that position by 
courtesy and usage, as the mover of the reso- 
lution. Hon. Mr. Davis, of Indiana, was elect- 
ed President of the Convention. 

Mr. Charlick, of New York, (Hard,) offered 
a resolution, declaring a rigid and faithful en- 
forcement of the Fugitive Slave law indispensa- 
bly necessary to the perpetuity of the Union. 
Senator Bright, of Indiana, submitted similar 
resolutions, as did also Hon. Mr. Phillips, of 
Alabama. They were all referred. Mr. Dugro, 
of New York, Hard, also submitted resolutions 
in relation to the public lands, which were dis- 
posed of in the same manner. 

The New York member of the Committee 
on Eesolutions was Henry C. Murphy. The 
Soft majority conceding the post to the Hard 
minority, so as to be able, to wash their own 
hands at home of all responsibility for the "pro- 
slavery" platform. 

Hon. Mr. Nabers, of Miss., moved that the 
platform of resolutions be laid down before any 
nominations be made. This was advocated by 
Messrs. Wise, of Va., and Robinson, of Indi- 
ana, and opposed by Messrs. Soule. of Louisi- 
ana, Hooker and Thompson, of Miss., and 
Floyd, of Va ; it was then tabled ; all the 
northern States, except Pennsylvania and In- 
diana, voting for tabling; the vote of New York, 
being the 24 Softs, in the affirmative, (for 
tabling,) the 11 Hards, in the negative. 

The Committee on Credentials, through E. 
Burke, of New Hampshire, reported that N. J. 
Lord was entitled to sit from the Second district 
of Massachusetts. Gen. Nye, of New York, 
presented a minority report awarding the seat 



to Rantoul. A vote by States was called for 
and had, resulting in Ayes 194, Noes 83 ; so 
the report was confirmed. The New York 
Hards voted to recognize Lord, most of the 
Softs for Rantoul. Gen. Nye then moved a 
reconsideration of this vote, and spoke at 
length ; threatening the Democratic party with 
" Northern sentiment," if it rejected Rantoul. 
The motion to reconsider was tabled, and Lord 
took his seat. 

On the first ballot New York voted for 
Marcy 24, for Cass 11. After several ballots, 
Mr. West changed his vote from Cass to 
Douglas, and the State continued so to vote 
up to the 49th ballot. 

On the 19th ballot Gov. Brown, of Tenn., 
announced that the Committee on Resolutions 
had unanimously agreed on a platform, and 
was proceeding to state the basis of it, when 
Messrs. Briggs, Nye, and other Softs of the 
New York delegation objected, and, unanimous 
consent being required to proceed, Gov. Brown 
sat down. 

On the 20th ballot, when Gov. Barbour an- 
nounced the vote of Virginia for Buchanan. 
Gov. Floyd insisted on his right to cast the vote 
of his district for Douglas. Mr. Wise main- 
tained that the vote of that State be cast as a 
unit. Messrs. Claiborne and McMullen pro- 
tested that their districts were not in favor of 
Mr. Buchanan. The Convention determined 
that a majority of the delegation should cast the 
vote of each State, and Virginia's vote was 
again cast for Buchanan. On the 21st ballot, 
half the Maryland delegation went for Bucha- 
nan ; hissing took place in the galleries, and 
Mr. Kettlewell, of Baltimore, made a gallant 
appeal to the auditors, which restored peace. 
On the 23d ballot, an altercation took place 
among the Delaware delegates, and another on 
the 28th ballot among the Louisiana delegates. 
On the 33d ballot, Mr. Nabers, of Miss., 
claimed the right to cast the vote of his dis- 
trict for Cass ; Mr. Barksdale resisted, and the 
Convention took no action, so the vote of Mis- 
sissippi was thrown for Douglas. 

On the evening of the fourth day of the 
Convention, several delegates from Virginia 
waited upon Mr. Dickinson, of New York, 
and announced to him that Virginia would 
present his name the nest morning for the 
nomination of President. Mr. Dickinson re- 
plied that he had come there as the friend of 



35 



Gen. Cass's nomiiiation — so known tote when 
elected in his district; and that so long as Gen. 
Cass's name was before the Convention he could 
not consent to be himself a candidate. lie 
added, that if Virginia should present his 
(Dickinson's) name to the Convention, he 
should feel it to be his duty to Cass, himself, 
and his constituents to withdraw it. 

On the 34th ballot, (being the first one taken 
on the fifth day of the Convention,) Gov. Bar- 
bour announced the vote of Virginia for Mr. 
Dickinson. When the applause had subsided, 
Mr. Dickinson was seen to rise in his place. 

We copy the account of the scene, given by 
the report of the " New York Herald." 

'' Mr. Dickinson mounted a settee, and gen- 
eral consent to hear him was given. ' I 
came here,' said he, ' not to speak, but I 
should be more or less than human — if I couUr 
sit here under these circumstances and be si- 
lent — if I could rise and address this Conven- 
tion without the deepest emotion. I came 
here not for myself. I came here as the servant 
of others, clothed with the high functions of a 
representative, which it shall be my chief am- 
bition to discharge. I came here not with in- 
structions, but bound by a stronger feeling of 
expectation that I would vote to procure the 
nomination of Gen. Lewis Cass, ot Michigan.' 
"(At this point several bouvquets were thrown, 
by the laclies in the galleries, and long and 
loud were the huzzas and other demonstrations 
of applause.) 

" Mr. Dickinson continued, • I have seen 
times when I was covered over with scoffs and 
revilings, (alluding to the denunciations of the 
Freesoilers and Softs.) But amidst all the 
various scenes of my life, I never before felt 
myself in a trial like this. But should I hesi- 
tate or waver ? No ! Mr. President : Never 
has mortal man had so many honors proffered 
as I have had. From the time I took my seat 
in this Convention, men who never had seen 
me — men who had come from a far and dis- 
tant section of the Union — have cast for me, 
unsolicited, nay, against my earnest protest, 
the mite of their Vote, as the widow of old cast 
hers into the treasury. I feel proud of this. 
It was a rosebud in the wreath of political des- 
tiny. (Applause.) But now, against my ex- 
pressed and repeated request, I have seen the 
land of Presidents — the ancient Dominion of 
Virginia — the champion of American Demo- 
cracy — laying her highest honors at my feet ! 
Sir, Virginia is the land of chivalry, the land 
of generosity, the land of high and noble im- 
pulses ; a land, of all others, willing to-day to 
save my name from the least stain or imputa- 
tion. As a compliment, I cherish her vote as 
of the highest worth. As a compliment un- 
sought and unrequested, indeed opposed to my 



own wishes, it has been brought to me, and 
therefore it is the more valuable. May I not, 
then, say to Virginia that I could not consent 
to a nomination here without incui'ring the 
imputation of unfaithfully executing the trust 
which my constituents have intrusted to me, 
without doing wrong to their preferences. — 
without turning my back upon an old and fa- 
vored friend. They expect me to stand by 
him. Nothing that could be tendered to mc 
— not the highest position in the government — 
not even this office of President of the Uni- 
ted States — could have complimented me so 
much as I have now been complimented. (Ap- 
plause.) I say to my Southern friends I will 
go hence a prouder, if not a better man. What 
I have met with here to-day has given me an 
an assurance -that ' truth crushed to death will 
rise again.' Then may I not invoke ray South- 
ern friends — may I not invoke the Democracy 
of the Old Dominion — to stay up my hands? 
May I not invoke them by all the history of 
our past contests — by all the rich fruition of 
the present, and by all the hopes of the future 
— to sta}'- up my hands, and go with me for the 
nomination of Lewis Cass. (Applause.) We 
cannot find a single individual acceptable to 
us all. Every one can say something in re- 
gard to his particular favorite, and I could re- 
peat with the poet : 

• Go, wiser tliou, ami in the scale of .'ionsc 
Weigh thy opinions 'gainst Onmipotence, 

Ciil imperl'ections what thou fanciest .such, 
Say, here he gives too little, there too much.' 

" It will bo a long time before we can all 
come together as the friends of any one man. 
There are many stars in our galaxy. Let us 
then compromise. I tender the offering of my 
choicest thanks to my friends of the • Old Do- 
minion' and my other friends, for the good 
feeling which has prevailed in the Convention. 
I ask them not to expect me to depart from the 
strict line of my intentions. ' The flesh were 
willing, but the spirit is noL weak,' and I say 
to you that the highest temptation could not 
induce me to depart from this course." 

On the 35th ballot, Mr. Dickinson having 
declined, Virginia cast her vote for Franklin 
Pierce, who received on that ballot 15 votes ; 
on the 36th, 30 ; on the 37th, 29 — where he 
remained till the 46th ballot, when he had 44 ; 
on the 47th he had 49 ; on the 4Sth, 55 ; on 
the 49th several other Southern States went 
with Virginia for Pierce. Mr. Bright, of Indi- 
ana, followed, giving the vote of Indiana to 
him ; Mr. Seymour, of New York, cast the 24 
Marcy votes, and Mr. Dickinson the 11 Cass 
votes (Hards) for him. Messrs. Black, of Penn- 
sylvania, Wilson, of Ohio, Richardson, of Cali- 
fornia, Soule, ofLousiana, McLellan, of Michi- 
gan, Worral, of Delaware, Kane, of Florida. 



36 



and Rusk, of Texas, announced the votes of 
their respective States for Pierce. Pierce re- 
ceived 282 votes. Ohio cast 2 for Cass. 2 for 
Douglas, and 2 for Wm. 0. Butler.— Total, 
288 ; South Carolina not being represented. 

Mr. Brown, of Tenn., essayed again to report 
the platform; but Gilbert Dean, of New York, 
(alternate for John P. Beekman,) moving to 
table it, Mr. Brown relinquished the effort. 
On the 2d ballot, Col. King, of Alabama, re- 
ceived 277 votes for Vice-President, and was 
unanimously nominated. The platform was 
then reported. The resolution approving the 
legislation of 1850 was loudly applauded. Mr. 
Wilder, of Lousiana, called for the previous 
question. Mr. Briggs. (Soft,) of New York, de- 
manded a division of the question, so that the 
non-intervention and Fugitive Slave law reso- 
lution might be voted on by itself. He com- 
menced to speak against that resolution and 
was hooted down. The vote on the platform 
as a whole was taken. It was carried ; the 
only negatives being among the New York 
Softs and two from Ohio. 

Mr. Dickinson moved a resolution that a 
(Committee be appointed to inform ^Messrs. 
Pierce and King of their nomination. This reso- 
lution being adopted^ it was reduced to writing 
by Mr. Angel, (Soft.) and Mr. Coming's name, 
(Soft,) endorsed upon it, as the mover. The 
President appointed Mr. Corning Chairman of 
the Committee. Mr. C, however, refused to 
take advantage of the cheat and declined to act. 
This performance of Mr. Angel is supposed to 
to have led to his rejection in 1854 by the 
Senate, when nominated by President Pierce 
as Consul to Honolulu. 

The Soft majority of the N. Y. delegation 
appointed John P. Beekman, (brother-in-law 
of Martin Van Buren. and a Buffalo Platform 
Soft,) as the member from this State of the De- 
mocratic National Standing Committee. The 
Convention then adjourned. 

The nomination of Pierce and King was sa- 
tisfactory to the Hards of New York, because, 
as"Mr. O' Conor expressed it, " the public ante- 
cedents of our Presidential candidate were of 
the most decided and satisfactory character." 
Mr. Dickinson, in a published letter, spoke of 
the Baltimore platform as one that " can be 
read without a magnifying glass, and under- 
stood without the aid of a dictionary." 

Pierce had opposed and crushed out Free- 



soilism in New Hampshire ; it was supposed 
he would pursue the same course towards 
New York. The most active exertions were 
made in his behalf. 

The Softs and Freesoilers also exhibited a 
surprising willingness to support the nomina- 
tion. It was supposed they had seized on 
this opportunity to honestly return to the sup- 
port of National principles. In this, however, 
all parties were soon undeceived by the tone of 
the N. Y. Evening Post, Albany Atlas, and 
other Soft papers, which openly repudiated 
the Baltimore platform while supporting the 
nominees. 

The Democratic State Convention met at 
Syracuse on the 1st of September. Among 
the Hard members were Henry Stephens, of 
Cortland, Minor C. Story, of Dutchess. John 
Rice, of Kings, Thomas J. Barr, and Henry 
J. Allen, of New York, Samuel S. Bowne, of 
Otsego, Grosvenou S. Aoams, of Suifolk, Na- 
than Bristol,of Tioga, &c.j among the Softs were 
W. Smith Ingham, of Cayuga. A. P. Lauing, of 
Allegany, Theodore Miller and John T. 
Hogeboom, of Columbia, James S. Whallon, of 
Essex, Francis E. Spinner, of Herkimer, Luke 
Hitchcock, of Madison. Isaiah Rynders, George 
H. Purser, John Cochrane, and L. B. Shep- 
ard of New York, William Vandervoort, of 
Niagara, Dennis McCarth]j, of Onondaga, 
John Strijker and S. B. Garvin, of Oneida, Eld- 
bridge G. Lapham, of Ontario, Edwd. N. Mad 
den and John I. Mumford, of Orange, Ebe- 
nezcr S. Marsh, of Tompkins, &c. 

There had been but little rivalry in the elec- 
tion of delegates, except in New York cit3\ 
The prevailing impression was, that the Hards 
would be in most favor with Pierce, and se- 
cure the federal offices, and that the Softs ought 
to have the State nominations. There was, 
however, some contest for the temporary pre- 
sidency of the Convention. Nathan Bristol 
was supported by the Hards, and Elbridge G. 
Lapham by the Softs. The former was chosen. 
The only contested seats were from New York, 
and after they were settled, HoTatio Seymour 
was nominated for Governor, Sanford E. 
Church (Soft) was nominated for Lieutenant- 
Governor, Frederick Follett (Hard) for Canal 
Commissioner, and Darius Clark (Hard) for 
State Prison Inspector. An electoral ticket 
was named, on which were Charles O'Conok, 
Joseph M. Marsh, Alexander F. Vache, and 



37 



GuSTAvus A. CoNOvER, of Ngw York, Alex- 
ander Thompson, of Orange, Job Pierson, of 
Rensselaer. Samuel G. Hathaway, of Cort- 
land, Delos De Wolf, of Oswego, €I.alvin T. 
Chamberlain, of Allegany, and olher Hards, 
and Willliam C. Crain, of Herkimer, Isaac 
W. Bishop, of Washington, Lawrence Van 
Buren, of Columbia, William Vandtrvoort^ of 
Niagara, and other Softs. 

The Congressional nominations in this j^ear 
were greatl}^ contested between the Hards and 
Softs. The former succeeded in nominating 
James Maurice, Thomas W. Gumming, Mike 
AYalsh, Hiram Walbridge, John Wheeler, 
Francis B. Cutting, Jared W. Peck, Elisha 
B. Smith, David Moulton, David L. Sey- 
mour, Pearson Mundy, Andrew L. Ireland, 
Rufus AV". Peckham, Andrew Oliver, and others. 
The Softs succeeded in naming William Mur- 
ray, Charles Hughes, Bishop Perkins, Peter 
Rowe, Gilbert Dean, Daniel F. Jones, Isaac 
A. Verplanck, Thomas T. How, Jr., George 
Hastings, Reuben E. Fenton, etc. The result 
of the election for Congressmen was rather dis- 
astrous to the Hards — who complained of be- 
ing every where cheated by their Soft allies. 
In the Oneida District, Mr. Matteson, (Seward 
Whig.) was elected to Congress by a large ma- 
jority, while Horatio Seymour had 1,800 ma- 
jority, and. Pierce 1,000. Mr. Moulton, the 
Democratic candidate, had been a Cass dele- 
gate to Baltimore. In the Rensselaer dis- 
trict, D. L. Seymour was beaten for Con- 
gress, while Horatio Seymour had a majority. 
In Jefferson and Lewis, which gave 900 Demo ; 
cratic majority, Pearson Miindy (Hard) was 
defeated. In the 21st district, where Pierce 
had 800 majority and Horatio Seymour 1,000, 
Elisha B. Smith was defeated. In the Essex 
district, which gave H. Seymour a majority, 
Andrew L. Ireland was d feated. In each of 
the Soft Abolition counties of Herkimer, St. 
Lawrence, Onondaga, Steuben, Oswego, &c., 
Horatio Seymour led Pierce by hundreds. 

The election resulted in the choice of the 
Pierce and King electors, and of the entire De- 
mocratic ticket. 

The Presidential electors met at Albany on 
the first Monday of December, to cast the vote 
of the State. A rumour prevailed there on 
that day that Wm. R. King had suddenly de- 
ceased, which created much alarm. It was 
known that Col. King's state of health was poor, 



and the story being generally credited, it was 
suggested by leading Softs that the vote of the 
State be cast for John A. Dix for Vice Presi- 
dent, " to avoid mistakes ;" some of the Softs 
recollecting the old Buffalo platform pledge 
against supporting slave holders for office. 
Fortunately the suggestion was overruled. 

The College organized by electing Zadock 
Pratt, (Soft,) President, over Charles O'Con- 
OR, (Hard.) Before leaving Albany, a por- 
tion of its members united in a paper recom- 
mending to the President the appointment 
of some member of his Cabinet from New- 
York, other than Daniel S. Dickinson. This 
fact coming to the ears of the Ilards caused 
great indignation. 

There was no election of Senators this year. 
The Democrats had a large majority ia the 
Assembly. Among the Assemblymen elected 
were James H. Hutchins of Kings, George 
F. Alden, Daniel B. Taylor, Erastus W. 
Glove^ and Thomas P. St. John, of New York, 
Richafd P. Smith, of Warren, &c., (Hards,) 
and Arphaxad Loomis, of Herkimer, Charles 
Smith, of Jefferson. William H. Ludloio, of 
Suffolk, L. Harrison Smith, of Ulster, Ebenezer 
S. Marsh, of Tompkins, George V. Hoyle, of 
Clinton, &c., (Softs.) Mr. Ludloio was elec- 
ted Speaker, and John S. Nafew, Clerk. 

On Saturday. 4th December, 1852, the De- 
mocratic General Committe. of New Y'ork met 
at Tammany Hall, Augustus Schell, the 
Chairman, presiding, when Lorenzo B. Shep- 
ard moved that primary elections for the 
choice of members of the General Committee 
for the year 1853, be ordered in the several 
wards ; the respective Ward Committees to 
designate the times and places for holding the 
same and the inspectors thereof. Daniel E. 
Sickles, (then Hard,) moved an amendment, that 
the General Committee designate the times 
and places and appoint the Inspectors. A dis- 
cussion ensued between Messrs. Sickles, Shef- 
ard, and Kennedy. The conclusion of the 
scene is best described in the report of the 
New York Herald. 



" The main question was then called for, 
and was about to be put, when John S. Austin, 
with one or two others, entered the room and 
uttered threats. He was requested by the 
chairman to retire, not being a member. He 
refused to do so, and took a seat. The Chair- 
man then deputed William N. McIntire, of 
the 15th Ward, and Mr. Leonard of the 2d 



38 



Ward, to go to the Station House, and obtain 
a police force to protect the Committee — there 
being a tremendous force outside shouting and 
endeavoring to come in. Mr. Barr then re- 
quested Mr. Austin to leave. He agreed to do 
so ; but a signal cry being given, at the instant 
the door was burst in, and a torrent of men 
with their hats off and their sleeves tucked 
up, and well primed with drink, rushed for- 
ward, some of them flinging^ pepper boxes, 
some tumblers, some chairs, and whatever 
missiles phrenzy could supply, at the ob- 
noxious heads of the Hunker section of the 
Committee, while others used' their lists vigor- 
ously. The scene was frightful. The lights 
were extinguished, and the yells made night 
hideous. The Committee was broken up and 
the members were compelled to Hy by various 
avenues, through which they were pursued by 
their assailants. Mr. Schell was struck by 
a chair, and his scalp was cut open from the 
top of the head down to the temple. The in- 
jury was very severe. The wound was stitched 
ami dressed by Dr. Hilton, and Mr. Schell 
is ever since confined to the house. We have 
heard that in the confusion, and the darkness, 
some members of the Barnburner section 
received knocks intended for others* The 
majority of the Committee repaired to the 
Astor House for safet}'." 

Before the Committee met again, cer- 
tain of the majority had " softened" and made 
arrangements with the Softs and Freesoilers. 
by which a compromise plan was agreed on 
for the elections for choice of a new Gene- 
ral Committee, which were then ordered. 

The Concord Patriot, in an article regarded 
as speaking the views of Gen. Pierce, said in 
December, 1852, that •• all who stood boldly 
upon the Baltimore Platform and supported 
our candidates, arc to be regarded as Demo- 
crats." This was looked upon as signifying 
that the Van Buren Soft and Freesoilers who 
had openly repudiated the platform while 
supporting the candidates, were to receive at 
most only second consideration, and was gene- 
rally quoted by the Hard newspapers. 

Gov. Bigler. of Pennsylvania, in his annual 
message in January, called attention to the 
fact, that under Whig and Freesoil rule, the 
laws of that State recognizing slave property 
in traiisilu, had deen repealed, and recom- 
mended its re-enactment, in view of the recent 
" Lemon case." In the New York Assembly. 
Hon. Joseph E. Ely, the Hard member from 
Binghamton, introduced resolutions to the 
same purport, which were referred by Speaker 



Ludlow, to the Judiciary Committee, and thus 
killed. 

Daniel B. Tayloh, also brought in a bill 
in the Assembly to recognize slave property 
in transitu, which met with a similar fate at 
the hands of the Soft Speaker. 

The new General Committee of New York 
city, met for organization at Tammany Hall, 
on the l5th January. The condition of the 
two factions in the new Committee was this. 
If the persons claiming seats, and certified to 
respectively, by one. two, or three inspectors, 
were all allowed to vote, then the Hards had a 
clear majority. If only those, who were cer- 
tified to by three inspectors were allowed to 
vote, then also the Hards had a clear majority. 
But if those who held the certificate of two 
inspectors out of three, were allowed to vote 
along with those who held the certificate of 
three inspectors, then the Softs had a majority. 
The Hards maintained that those certified to 
by three inspectors, were the only uncontested 
delegates, and ought alone to vote on the pre- 
liminary organization ; or else, they held that 
all the contestants should participate. The 
Softs insisted that the certificate of either three 
or tico inspectors qualified the holder for 
voting. 

Two organizations consequently took place, 
Senator Barr presiding over the Hard Com- 
mittee, and D. E. Delavan over the Softs. 

In this eraergoncv, the Tammany Sachems 
were called together and passed resolutions, 
as follows: 

" Resolved, That the following persons, hav- 
ing been certified by all, or a majorit}' of the 
Inspectors appointed by the Democratic Re- 
publican General Committee for 1852, to hold 
the primary meetings called by that Com- 
mittee for the election of the Committees for 
1853, as elected at such primary meetings 
members of the Democratic Picpublican Gen- 
eral Committee for 1853, itre severally entitled 
to seats in that Committee, until it shall 
otherwise determine," viz : 

[Here followed the names of all the dele- 
gates certified by three or two Inspectors 
each.] 

" Resolved, That the Committee to be orga- 
nized under and in pursuance of the preceding 
resolutions, is hereby declared to be the Demo- 
cratic Republican General Committee for 
1853." 

The following is the vote on the above reso- 
lutions : 

In the affirmative : Sachems George S. Mes- 



39 



serre, Isaac V. Fowler, Andrew H. Mickle , respective friends of Messrs. Dickinson, Marcy, 
Andre Froment, Jacob M. Vreeland, William a^d dj^^ now^ that the election was over and 
J. Brown^ John Dunham Charles A. Denike, ^^^^ j^ ^^^ understood a Cabinet officer would 
Ihomas Dunlap, bamuel Allen. , , , » .1 • cii. i. t u -tr -d 

Negative-3o^t^\i Cornell. be taken from this State. -John Van Buren 

ilftseni!— Sachems Purdy and Feeks. and other Freesoilers went early to Concord, 

and were there closited with the President. 

All these Sachems, except Mr. Cornell, were r^^e Hards after learning of the anti-Dickin- 
Softs, and a majority of them had been Van ^^^ recommendation, said to be signed by a 
Buren men in 1848. Several of them were ^^^^^-^^^ ^f ^^^ Presidential electors, also set 
also members of Mr. Delevan's Committee. ^^ ^^^^^ ^^^ ^ majority of the Democratic 

Senator Barr presented a protest against the members of each branch of the Legislature, 
action of the Sachems, in undertaking to de 



clare who were the representatives of the Demo- 
cratic masses, and the General Committee, 
of which he was the Chairman, ceased to meet 
in Tammany Hall. 

The Canal question now came up in the Le- 
gislature, where the Hards took ground in ^t^^ ^^^^ Jf Secretary of State, 
favor of instant enlargement and completion of 
the public works. Senator John Vander- 
BiLT introduced a constitutional amendment 
for this purpose. The Softs opposed, and fa- 
vored the plan of Mr. Loomis and Gov. Sey- 
mour of gradual, (or as it was nick-named, 
" six inch,") enlargement. 

In New York the Democratic Committees in 
most of the Wards rebuked the action of the 
Tammany Society. In the Sixth Ward, Mr. 
Sv/EENY presiding, the Committee 

Resolved, That this Committee has heard 
with astonishment and regret that a secret and 

exclusive society, known as the Tammany So- with the Van Buren Soft leaders, by which he 

ciety, has undertaken to determine upon the had agreed, in consideration of receiving their 

rights of the delegates from the Ward elected ^g^igtance in carrying the Baltimore delega- 
by the people to represent this u ard m the ,0 •/• 1 i. i r. 

Democratic General Committee of 1853." tion from the State, to oppose, if elected Pre- 
sident or if attaining a Cabinet place, the an- 

The new Canal appointments were made nexation of Cuba, Mexico, or other additional 

early in February, when the Hard officials territory upon the southern limits of the 

were for the most part removed, and their United States. It was also freely charged 

places filled by Softs. that President Pierce was aware of this 

Considerable rivalry sprung up between the pledge. 



a majority of the State Committee, a majority 
of the Democratic State officials, and a ma- 
jority of the members even of the State Con- 
vention of September, 1852, which had nomi- 
nated Horatio Seymour, united in a letter, in 
which they recommended Mr. Dickinson for 

This letter 
was taken to Concord, and the Hards rested 
satisfied that Gen. Pierce could not be igno- 
rant of the presence of the National Demo- 
cracy. Such Hard Democrats as visited Con- 
cord, also, returned with the impression that 
Mr. l5ickinson would be appointed, received 
from Gen. Pierce's language. 

At last, however, it became evident that 
Mr. Marcy had been selected to represent New 
York in the Cabinet, and the dissatisfaction 
of the Hard Democratic masses was very 
great. It was freely charged that Mr. Marcy. 
in 1851, had entered into a pledge, in writing, 



9^ 



40 



CHAPTER VIII, 

From March, 1853— to January, 1854, 

Reasons for Marcy's Appointment to the Cabinet. Federal Appointments in New York. 

Tlie Impcacliment of John C. Mather. The Passage of D. B. Taylor's Resolu- 
tions on the Inaugural. " Stampede of the Buffaloes." Scene at the Adjournment 

of the Legislature. The Syracuse Convention broken up by " Short-Boys." Ac- 
quittal of Mather. Removal of Bronson, and Resignation of O'Conor. Redfield 

Confirmed by the Senate. Election of 1853. Tlie Albany Argus begins the Ne- 
braska Discussion. 



The appointment of Mr. Marcy to the Cabi- 
net indicated a change of opinion on the part 
of the President, and was the premonition to 
the Hard Democrats of New York of treat- 
ment different from that which they had ex- 
pected and demanded as their due. A day or 
two after the inauguration and selection of the 
Cabinet, " The New York Evening Post" con- 
tained a Washington letter, which it editorially 
alluded to as being of an oflScial character, and 
which announced the determination of the Pre- 
sident to consider all who had voted for him 
in this State as Democrats, without reference 
to their acceptance of the Baltimore platform. 

In an article published in the " Concord Pa- 
triot," imbodying personal sketches of the 
members of the new Cabinet, the claims of 
Mr. Marcy were put upon the ground of his 
having " completely succeeded in re-uniting the 
Democracy of New York." If this be the 
case, there is reason to believe that his ap- 
pointment to Gen. Pierce's Cabinet undid the 
work which had just been so eminently " com- 
pleted," for the subsequent open breaches 
among those who supported Pierce, are unde- 
niably due to this obnoxious appointment. 

On the 11th March, Daniel B. Taylor in- 
troduced into the House of Assembly three 
resolutions echoing and approving the senti- 
ments of the President's Inaugural, and de- 
claring a determination that the federal laws, 
including the Fugitive Slave law, should be 
executed in the State. These resolutions were 
furiously denounced by the Softs. The Buf- 
falo Republic termed them " factious and in- 
cendiary — conceived in the spirit of a mischief 



maker, with deliberate intention to foment dis- 
cord," &c. The Troy Post charged them with 
obsequiousness and subserviency. 

Senator Vanderbilt's proposition for 
amending the Constitution, so as to allow the 
enlargement and completion of the Canals, 
passed the Senate on the 5th of April, by 20 to 
5. Hards and Softs — 8 in the affirmative ; 5 
Softs in the negative, and three absent. 

Early in April, the New York city nomina- 
tions were made to the Senate by the Presi- 
dent : Daniel S. Dickinson for Collector) 
Charles O'Conor for District Attorney, 
Joh7i Cochrane for Surveyor, Isaac V. Fowler 
for Postmaster, John A. Dixfor Sub-Treasurer, 
Conrad Swackhamer for Navy Agent, Heman 
J. Redfield for Naval Officer. All but Dick- 
inson and O'Conor, Softs. These were all 
confirmed without difficulty, except Messrs. 
Dix, Cochrane, and Fowler, well known Free- 
soilers. Among the negative votes in the 
Senate, on Gen. Dix's nomination, were stated 
to have been those of Senators Bright, Atchi- 
son, Butler, Rusk, Norton, Thompson, and 
Mason. Had Mr. Dickinson's name not been 
included in the batch, so that the whole thing 
assumed the appearance of a compromise, it is 
supposed the more obnoxious of these nomina- 
tions would not have been confirmed. 

Gen. Pierce had evidently been ruled by Mr. 
Marcy in all these appointments. To place 
Mr. Dickinson in the New York Custom 
House, there to wrangle with herds of office 
seekers, and to sink to the level of city pri- 
mary elections, was doubtless a plan intended 
to effect an extinguishment of the pre-eminent 



41 



popularity of that gentleman, and to detract 
greatly from his high position. For no one 
knew better than the Secretary of State, that 
the appointment to office of one candidate 
offends fifty rivals. 

Mr. Dickinson, in promptly, but respectfully 
declining, as he did, this nomination, met fully 
the expectations and desires of his friends in 
every section of the State. He, nevertheless, 
advised the acceptance of the District Attor- 
neyship by Mr. O'Conor, who, named for a 
professional oflBce without his own desire, and 
besought by political friends to accept of it, 
did so for a time. 

Mr. Dickinson's declination of the Collec- 
torship being promptly signified to Washing- 
ton, Greene C. Bronson, much to his own 
surprise, was nominated by Mr. Marcy to the 
President, and by the President to the Senate, 
and duly confirmed, in hi3 stead. Judge 
Bronson at first determined to decline, but 
being appealed to by friends on all sides to 
accept this unsought and gratifying mark of 
executive preference, he complied, and entered 
upon the discharge of his duties. 

The Hard Democrats of New- York had, 
with one accord, advocated the appointment 
of Augustus Schell for the Collectorship. 
That gentleman had reluctantly yielded to the 
solicitations of his friends in becoming a can- 
didate, and it was in his favor that both Mr. 
Dickinson and Judge Bronson had declared 
themselves. But Mr. Marcy, hoping to bring 
about variance and dissension among the 
Hards, and openly avowing his willingness 
that '' any man but Schell," upon whom the 
Hards had united, should be appointed, suc- 
ceeded in preventing the nomination of that 
gentleman. Mr. Pierce himself pleaded as an 
excuse for rejecting Mr. Schell, that Mr. 
Marcy had threatened to resign, if he were 
nominated. 

On the 12th of April, Gov. Seymour nomi- 
nated to the State Senate, for the post of 
Superintendent of the Syracuse Salt Springs, 
(a very lucrative ofiice,) Jerome J'. Briggs. of 
Syracuse. This nomination was confirmed, 
but subsequently, on information of the po- 
litical character of the appointee, reconsidered, 
by the vote of the Hard Senators. Mr. Briggs 
had been a Freesoiler in 1848, and a Soft, or 
Marcy delegate to Baltimore in 1852, and then 
and there opposed the platform. 



On the 13th of April, a select Committee 
appointed to consider " Canal affairs " a month 
before, and packed for the purpose, by Speaker 
Ludlow, presented to the Assembly a report 
and resolutions, impeaching John C. Mather, 
one of the Hard Canal Commissioners, " of 
high crimes and misdemeanours," connected 
with the expenditures of his ofSce. The 
members of the Committee were three Softs 
— Champlin, Beckwith, and E. S. Smith, and 
Messrs. Hoyle and T. C. Peters, (the lat- 
ter a Van Buren elector in 1848) who were 
elected as Whigs, but who had acted upon all 
occasions with the Softs in the Assembly. 
Mr. Mather at once demanded a trial in a 
manly communication addressed to the House." 
In consequence of this communication, the 
Assembly instead of throwing out the report 
of impeachment, adopted it, to p-ive the Canal 
Commissioner an opportunity of defence. 

The Mather impeachment excited the high- 
est interest. It was known to have been in- 
duced by the exertions of Comptroller Wright 
Speaker Ludlaw, and Canal Auditor Newell, 
(a brother-in-law of Mr. Marcy.) all leading 
Softs ; and it was openly charged, that the 
measure bad been dictated from Washington, 
in order " to drive the Hards into opposition." 

In April. John Austin, Isaac Austin, 
Mathews, and Wallace, (Softs.) were tried, con- 
victed, and sentenced to the Penitentiary for 
the assault of Augustus Schell. in Tam- 
many Hall, in December. They were defen- 
ded by their counsel Joh7i Cochrane. Wal- 
lace was an appointee under Mr. Cochrane, 
in the U. S. Surveyor's ofEce. 

At the regular May meeting of the Com- 
mon Council of Brooklyn, resolutions lauda- 
tory of Senator John Vanoerbilt, and As- 
semblyman James H- Hutchins and his col- 
leagues were passed by a unanimous vote : a 
rare and peculiar compliment. 

The award to the Soft Albany Atlas and 
Buffalo Ii.epublic of a nine column advertise- 
ment from Washington, calling for proposals 
for supplies, both these papers being still 
bitter and open opponents of the Baltimore 
platform, the Compromise measures and the 
Fugitive Slave law, excited some interest in 
the month of May, and gave renewed indi- 
cations of what was to be expected. 

Henry A. Foster, of Rome, (Hard,) being 
appointed to the District Attorneyship of 



42 



Northern New- York, declined the office, and 
Samuel B. Garvin, (Soft,) was substituted. 

Benjamin F. Angel, the Soft delegate to the 
Baltimore Convention, was appointed Consul to 
Honolulu, and without waiting for confirmation 
by the Senate, sailed on the 20th June from 
New York. His appointment was looked upon 
by the Hards as a reward for the insult Mr. 
Angel had put upon Mr. Dickinson at Balti- 
more. 

On the 14th June, the New York Evening 
Post exultingly announced that almost all the 
Federal appointments in Massachusetts, had been 
made of men who had supported the election of 
"Mr. Sumner. It alleged that the Postmasters at 
Cambridge, Salem, Gloucester, &c., had been 
Abolitionists, and referred to Messrs. Josselyn, 
of Lynn ; Colby, of Newburyport ; and Knowl- 
ton, of Worcester; as bemg all opponents of the 
Fugitive Slave law, and late recipients of Federal 
favor. 

In June, resolutions containing charges of 
impeachment were introduced in the Assembly 
against Comptroller John C. Wright, Lieuten- 
ant-Governor Church, and Attorney General 
Chatfield, all Softs. Those relating to Mr. Wright 
were referred to a new select Committee, by 44 
to 39, and subsequently sent with the others to 
the same select Committee having charge of 
Mather's case, as given above. The members 
of this Committee being, without exception, po- 
litical friends of the accused, of course threw 
out all the charges. 

On the 30th of June, Daniel B. Taylor's 
resolutions upon the Inaugural came to a vote in 
the Assembly. The resolutions were as follows : 

Resolved, That the State of New York con- 

fratulates her sister States of the Union on the 
octrines avowed by President Pierce in his In- 
augural Address to his countrymen, believing 
that the doctrines are sound expositions of our 
duty as one of the powers of the civilized world, 
and of the duties of the several States to each 
other under the Constitution of the United 
States. 

Resolved, That the people of the State of New 
York coincide with the President in his opinion 
that " it is not to be disguised that our attitude 
as a nation and our position on the globe ren- 
der the acquisition of certain possessions not 
within our jurisdiction, eminently important for 
the protection, if not in the future essential for 
our preservation of the rights of commerce and 
the peace of the world" — and also with the prin- 
ciple which we should all regard as fundamental, 



that " the rights, security, and repose of this 
Confederacy reject the idea of interference or 
colonization on this side of the ocean by any 
foreign power, beyond present jurisdiction, as 
utterly inadmissible." 

Resolved, That the State of New York re- 
affirms the doctrine of the Inaugural, that " in- 
voluntary servitude, as it exists in different States 
of the Confederacy, is recognized by the Con- 
stitution ; that it stands like any other admitted 
right, and that the States where it exists are en- 
titled to efficient remedies to enforce the con- 
stitutional provisions ;" that " the laws of 1850, 
commonly called the Compromise measures, are 
strictly constitutional and to be unhesitatingly 
carried into effect ;" that " the constituted au- 
thorities of this Republic are bound to regard 
the rights of the South in this respect as they 
would view any other legal and constitutional 
right — and that the laws to enforce them should 
be respected and obeyed, not with a reluctance 
encouraged by abstract opinions as to their pro- 
priety in a different state of society, but cheer- 
fully and according to the decisions of the tribu- 
nal to which their exposition belongs ;" and 
that the State of New York pledges her faith 
to the Union that every law adopted by the 
constituted authorities of the United States, 
including the Fugitive Slave law, shall be* 
faithfully enforced within the limits of the 
State. 

These resolutions came up, and the previous 
question was called by Thomas P. St. John, 
(Hard,) of New York, and ordered ; the Whigs 
maliciously voting with the Hards, in order to 
make the Softs " face the music." Thus corner- 
ed, the Softs almost in a body Jled from the 
Hall of the Assembly. W. H. Ludlow abruptly 
left the Speaker's chair, and bolted out of the 
House, placing a Seward Whig in the chair. 
There remained but 76 members of the 128 pre- 
sent and voting. Mr. Marsh, of Tompkins, one 
of the leading Softs, (since appointed by Collec- 
tor Redfield to a post in the New York Custom 
House,) remained and manfully voted " no," de- 
claring, in a short speech, explanatory of his 
vote, that he held the doctrines of the third reso- 
lution to be " damnable, whether found in a Pre- 
sident's Inaugural or no." L. Harrison Smith, 
of Ulster, another active Soft member, (and now 
also a Custom House Officer in New York, and 
a prominent member of the Young Men's De- 
mocratic Union Club,) undertook to delay the 
voting by a variety of motions to " kill time," 
such as moving to table Mr. St. John's motion 
for the previous question, moving to adjourn, 
moving " a call of the House," moving again to 
adjourn, moving for a third time to adjourn, 



43 



moving a fourth time to adjourn, raising a ques- 
tion of order, appealing from the decision of the 
chair, &c. All Mr. Smith's motions were qui- 
etly voted down, and the resolutions of D. B. 
Taylor were passed. 

The first (as above) received 59 afiSrmative 
votes, all elected as Democrats, to 27 negative, 
all elected as Whigs. Among the affirmative 
votes are those of Messrs. Hdtchins, Alden, and 
D. B. Tayloe ; and among the absentees or 
dodgers those of Ludlow and Cliarles Smith. 

The second (as above) received the affirmative 
votes of 49 Democrats and one Whig, to 24 in 
the negative, all elected as Whigs. Hutchins, 
Alden, and D. B. Taylor among the ayes; 
Ludlow and Cliarles Smith among the dodgers. 

The third or test resolution received the affir- 
mative votes of 43 Democrats, among them 
Hutchins, Alden, and D. B. Taylor, and 4 
Whigs ; and the negative votes of 19 Whigs 
and 4 Softs. Forty-one members dodged or 
bolted on this vote, namely, 27 Softs {among 
them Ludlow and Charles Smith) and 14 
Whigs. 

On the 4th of July, Mr. Dickinson delivered 
an oration at Syracuse, which was greatly ap- 
plauded by the press. 

In July, Henry J. Sickles xjas appointed 
Postmaster at Albion. Mr. Sickles had been 
removed by President Polk, in July, 1848, for 
Freesoilism. Mr. S. at that time wrote a letter 
to Hon. W. J.Brown, of the Post Office Depart- 
ment, avowing his support of the Wilmot Pro- 
viso, his disapprobation of Mr. Buchanan's Mis- 
souri Line letter addi'essed to the Berks County 
meeting, and his determination not to support 
Cass. His appointment by Mr. Pierce, there- 
fore, created a great sensation. Mr. S.'s nomi- 
nation was rejected by the Senate. 

The Democratic State Committee met at the 
Astor House, New York, on the 15th July, 
President Pierce was at that time in the city. 
At the hour appointed. Minor C. Story, of 
Dutchess, was moved into the Chair, and James 
I. Johnson, of Albany elected Secretary, both 
Hards. A sub-Committee on resolutions and 
business was appointed consisting of Ausburn 
Birdsall, of Broome ; Robert J.Dillon, of New 
York, and Lyman Tremain, of Greene. This sub- 
committee reported resolutions identical with 
the Taylor resolutions (as above) passed by the 
Assembly, with an additional one approbatory of 
the passage of the Vanderbilt Constitutional 



amendments by the Legislature ; and also a call 
for a Democratic State Convention at Syracuse, 
on the 13th of September, at noon. This date had 
been suggested by Piatt Potter, and the place 
by James C. Smith, both Softs. Yet when the 
resolutions were read, these two gentlemen, the 
only Soft members of the State Committee pre- 
sent, bolted from the room, and refused to re- 
turn. The Committee thus left without a quo- 
rum, nevertheless declared the resolutions adopt- 
ed, and adjourned. 

The Albany Argus insisted that this " second 
stampede of the Buffaloes" in order to avoid an 
approval of the resolutions only furnished addi- 
tional evidence of the " alienage of the Freesoil 
faction in the State from all affinity with the com- 
mon brotherhood of the National Democracy." 
On the 22d July, Daniel B. Taylor address- 
ed a manly and able letter to the Editors of The 
Washington Union, exposing and denouncing 
the persistent Freesoil affinities of the Softs. 

The Washington Union of the 23d July, de- 
elared The New York Evening Post a Freesoil 
paper, and stated that the Post was not in the 
receipt of any patronage from the federal admi- 
nistration. If that was the case at that time it 
soon ceased to be, and the Post was then, has 
been constantly since, and is yet in receipt of 
dirct patronage from government officials with 
the knowledge of the administration. 



The Albany Atlas denounced the Astor 
House resolutions as injurious " to the perpe- 
tuation of the supremacy of the Democratic 
party in this State." 

On the 21st July, the Legislature ad- 
journed. An extraordinary scene took place 
at the adjournment of the Assembly. The 
usual resolution of thanks to the Speaker 
being proposed, S. M. Burroughs, of Orleans, 
(then Soft and now Black •' Republican,-') 
rose to speak. The Speaker placed Russell 
Smith, Speaker pro tern, in the chair, as is 
usual. Mr. Burroughs went on to charge 
Speaker Ludlow with having exhibited par- 
tiality — to allude to his arbitrary and un- 
warranted conduct — to his neglect to re- 
cognize members of opposite views from his 
own as entitled to the floor when his own 
friends were struggling for it — to his man- 
ner of putting the question so as to sig- 
nify to his friends how he desired them to 
vote — to his repeated refusals to heed a call 



44 



for the ayes and noes — to his arbitrarily de- 
claring members in contempt, and ordering 
them under arrest, without a vote of tiie 
House, &c. He declared the conduct of the 
Speaker to have been en many occasions over- 
bearing, insulting, and impertinent. In the 
midst of this speech the Speaker resumed the 
chair, and stated that he would now announce, 
as authorized by resolution to do, the names of 
the managers of the Mather impeachment — 
which he accordingly did. He then retained 
the chair, and Mr. Burroughs, interrupted in 
his speech, awaited his vacating it and the re- 
turn to it of the Speaker pro iem. Speaker 
1/udlow, however, announcing that he should 
retain the chair, Mr. Burroughs went on with 
his remarks, but in a few moments was sud- 
denly called to order by the Speaker and or- 
dered to be seated. Mr. Burroughs appealed 
from this decision and the appeal was lost, the 
Soft majority sustaining the chair on ayes 
and noes. The previous question on the com- 
plimentary resolution was then moved. Mr. 
Hutch INS, of Kings, moved to table the 
previous question, which was lost. A nim- 
ber of members then sprang for the floor but 
the Speaker rapidly put the question,in the 
midst of the noise, on the adoption of the re- 
solution complimentary to himself, and de- 
clared it carried, though several members were 
calling at the top of their voices for the ayes 
and nays. Speaker Ludloio then delivered a 
few words of farewell to the House, contain- 
ing a marked allusion to Mr. Burroughs, and 
declared the House adjourned, sine die. Im- 
mediately on the adjournment, Mr. Burroughs 
made a short speech to the members and spec- 
tators of this extraordinary scene. The most 
intense excitement prevailed, and as the dis- 
pute was between William H. Ludloiv, who 
had been a Van Buren Freesoiler in 1848, and 
Silas M. Burroughs, who, having been a Cass 
Democrat, had been among the first to Soften, 
and to avow a desire to sink National princi- 
ples in order to unite with the Freesoilers in 
the Rome Conventions of 1849, the Hards 
were infinitely amused at the contest. 

The Court of Impeachment convened for 
the first time in this State, organized on the 
27th July, and a recess was then taken to the 
16th of August, when the impeachment trial 
began. 

A spirited contest for delegates to the Syra- 



cuse Convention was now taking place. The 
call for this Convention was accepted by the 
Softs with an ill grace. The New York Sun- 
day Atlas, a paper in the receipt of govern- 
ment advertising, denounced the resolutions as 
" revolting and oflFeubive to the Democracy, 
— damnable doctrines which have no connec- 
tion with Democracy," &c. This language was 
editorially repeated by the bolder, and copied 
by the more timid Soft and Freesoil papers 
throughout the State. 

An organization called the State Executive 
Council of the Young Democracy, begun at 
Syracuse in 1862, met at Albany on the lOth 
August. It consisted of one member from 
each Congress district. The Hards were in a 
majority. Col. Sam Fowler, of Orange, 
was chosen President. Mr. Bogardus, of Kings, 
(Hard,) moved two resolutions : the first re- 
peating and endorsing the Astor House reso- 
lutions of the State Committee ; the second 
declaring that the federal patronage should be 
so awarded as to harmonize and strengthen the 
party, and that the distribution of the patron- 
age of the administration had tended to pro- 
scribe those Democrats in this State whose 
sentiments were National and in accordance 
with the President's Inaugural. 

Mr. Scrugham, (Soft,) moved to strike out 
the resolution endorsing the Fugitive Act, &c., 
and to insert an amendment congratulating 
the country on the principles of the Baltimore 
platform, and on the President's expressed de- 
termination to carry them out ; also pledg- 
ing the Committee to the State nominations to 
be made on the 13th of September. The mo- 
tion was lost by 5 to 15. Those in the aflBr- 
mative all-Softs, and among those in the nega- 
tive were John Hanford, of Kings; Daniel B. 
Taylor, of New York; Sam Fowler, of 
Orange; Joseph M. Lyon, of Oneida; and Har- 
mon S. Cutting, of Erie; (Hards.) Mr. Par- 
mentier, of Rensselaer, (Soft,) then moved to 
strike out all allusion to the State Committee, 
saying that he did not recognize the right of 
that Committee to pass resolutions, and that 
he repudiated their action — which was lost. 
The first resolution of Mr. Bogardus was then 
adopted — the second, hy common consent, laid 
on the table. Mr. Starbuck then offered a 
resolution endorsing the administrations of 
Pierce and Seymour, which was tabled 11 to 8, 
the Hards voting aye on tabling, and the Softs 



45 



nay. Mr. Dillaye, of Onondaga, (Soft,) then 
produced ai address, which, after being read, 
was tabled 12 to 8. The Council then ad- 
journed. 

A number of Softs in New York city invited 
William H. Ludlow to a public dinner soon 
after the adjournment of the Legislature. 
Among the signers of this invitation were 
Isaac V. Fowler, Postmaster ; John A, Dix, 
Sub-Treasurer ; John Cochrane, Surveyor ; 
Nelson J. Waterbury, Assistant Postmaster; 
Samuel J. Tilden, &c. This compliment by 
federal oflScials to a Speaker who fled from the 
House rather than vote to endorse the Presi- 
dent's Inaugural, was the subject of much re- 
mark. 

On the 9 th August, the Albany Argus com- 
plained that of over fifty Postmasters appoint- 
ed in Herkimer county, only one had been a 
Cass Democrat in 1848, and intimated that 
this proportion was not an unusual one 
throughout the State. 

Meanwhile the trial of the Mather impeach- 
ment proceeded. Mr. Mather was defended by 
James T. Brady, John H. Reynolds, and 
others. The Argus charged that M. B. 
Champlin, one of the prosecuting managers, 
had wagered money on the result, and chal- 
lenged a denial, which was not forthcoming. 

The Washington Union leaned more and 
more towards favoring the Softs. The Hard 
papers in vain called its attention to such lan- 
guage as the following, in the Soft Syracuse 
Standard : 

" No man has any right to hold his fellow- 
man in slavery. Consequently the slave- 
holders are morally bound to free their slaves 
without asking any compensation for them," 
etc. 

Senator John Vanderbilt, being at Sche- 
nectady on the 9th August, was receJvedf' in a 
perfect ovation by the friends of tha. Canal 
enlargement. 

On the 29th of August, the Albany Argus 
stated that every Postmaster appointed in Es- 
sex county was a Van Buren Freesoiler, ex- 
cept one ; and that a similar state of things 
existed in Jefferson county. 

The strife for the ascendency in the Syra- 
cuse Convention rose higher and higher. The 
Albany Atlas predicted that " two Conven- 
tions will sit at Syracuse, and two tickets be 
nominated." Many seats were " contested" al- 



ready, and as early as the 1st of September it 
was foreseen that upon the decision of these 
contested seats would depend the complexion 
of the Convention. 

In New York city, Aid. Barr issued to the 
Hard General Committee a call in which he 
recapitulated the circumstances of their ex- 
clusion from Tammany Hall ; the attempt of 
the Sachems, its proprietors, to designate the 
members of the Committee ; his own protest 
against this assumed authority, and the cir- 
cumstances upon which the claim of the dele- 
gates to seats were based ; concluding by call- 
ing the Committee to meet at Stuyvesant In- 
stitute, on the 2d of September. This final 
secession from Tammany was looked upon as 
an event of great importance. The Hards 
have never returned thither. Each of the 
General Committees in New York city sent a 
full list of delegates to the State Convention. 

The Convention assembled at Brintnall 
Hall, Syracuse, on the appointed day. The 
hall was crowded with federal and State oflfi- 
cials, and among the notabilities present, for the 
first time at a State Convention, was a delega- 
tion of the bruisers, pugilists, and " short 
boys'' of New York city. A gang of from 50 
to 75 of these creatures, furnished with free 
tickets and well primed with liquor, had come 
up by the railroad the night before, brought 
hundreds of miles from their ordinary haunts, 
for purposes which required no explanation, 
and admitted of no excuse. Among them 
were many of those known to have acted with 
the gang which broke into the Tammany Com- 
mittee room in December, and who had been 
since rewarded and recognized by appointments 
under Mr. Cochrane, and other Soft New York 
officials. The faces and names of most of these 
desperadoes were familiar, and their occupa- 
tion notorious among New Yorkers, but the 
delegates from the " Rural Districts" contem- 
plated their presence with surprise, as all did 
with apprehension. 

A few minutes before twelve o'clock, while 
the hall was slowly filling up with people, the 
sudden and noisy entrance of this gang of 
miscreants into the room startled all persons 
present. They forced their way roughly and 
tumultuously through the spectators, and took 
possession of the platform, upon which jMinor 
C. Story, Hard, the Chairman of the State 
Committee, and two or three reporters were 



46 



standing. A number of leading Softs, who 
entered at the same time and along with this 
delectable company, were assisted by their fel- 
lows to mount the platform ; among these 
were William H. Ludlow, Surveyor Cochrane^ 
Postmaster Fowler, Thomas Dunlap, of New 
York, John Van Buren and others. Great 
noise and confusion ensued, and at the call of 
Mr. Cochrane loud cheering was given by the 
gang, which had taken possession of the plat- 
form. As soon as a lull in the noise occurred, 
Mr. Story mounted a table, and, (as was his 
right, as Chairman of the State Committee.) 
called the Convention to order, and nominated 
Ira P. Barnes, (Hard,) of Chenango, as tempo- 
rary Chairman. Mr. Story put the question 
and declared it carried. At the same moment 
Edward N. Madden, of Orange, (now a " Black 
Republican'' State Senator, then Soft.) nomi- 
nated John B. Skinner, of Wyoming, (Soft,) 
for temporary Chairman, and declared his 
motion carried. The fighting men handed Mr. 
Skinner upon a table ; Mr. Barnes managed 
to mount along side him. Each Chairman en- 
tertained and put a motion to appoint a Secre- 
tary \ and on the Hard side William F. Rus- 
sell, of Ulster, and on that of the Softs, Hi- 
ram A. Bebee, of Tioga, (Postmaster,) were 
chosen. Gen. Aaron Ward, (Hard,) in vain 
appealed to the rowdies to leave the platform 
and remain quiet. An attempt at calling the 
roll of delegates was then made by each Secre- 
tary, but in the midst of the tdmult and con- 
fusion little was accomplished. A motion was 
then made to adjourn till four o'clock, put by 
Chairman Barnes and declared carried by him, 
and the Hards left the hall. The Soft Chair- 
man received and put a similar motion, and the 
section over which he presided also separated. 
A " National Democratic" (Hard) Caucus 
was called to meet at the Globe Hotel at 3 
o'clock. All of that section met there. It 
was ascertained that the gang of pugilists 
were still keeping guard over the entrance to 
Brintnall Hall. A majority of delegates being 
present in the caucus, it was therefore resolved 
that notic she given to the remainder to reassem- 
ble at the Globe Hotel, and that the members 
present would not return to Brintnall Hall. 
At 4 o'clock, therefore, the Hards re-assembled 
in the large room of the Globe Hotel — Mr. 
Barnes resuming the chair. 
A Committee to elect permanent officers, 



reported for President, Minor C. Story ; among 
the Vice-Presidents, Robert McClelland, of 
Columbia, Daniel D. Campbell, of Schenectady, 
John Ruger, of Onondaga, &c. ; among the 
Secretaries,''GiDEON J. Tucker, of New-York> 
James H.Hdtchins, of Kings, Abram Vernam, 
of Livingston, &c. A ticket was nominated, 
namely : George W. Clinton for Secretary 
of State, James E. Cooley for Comptroller, 
James T. Brady for Attorney General, Wins- 
low C.Watson for Treasurer, John C. Mather 
for Canal Commissioner, John D. Fay for State 
Engineer, Miles W. Bennett for Prison Inspec- 
tor, Judges Ruggles and Denio for Judges of 
the Court of Appeals, and Samuel S. Bowne 
for Clerk of Appeals. 

Judge Edward Suffern, of Rockland, re- 
ported an address and resolutions. The ad- 
dress rehearses the circumstances which leu to 
and impelled the scenes at this Convention. 
The first resolution approves the Baltimore 
platform of 1848 and 1852. The second ap- 
proves the sentiments of the President's In- 
augural. The third and fourth were Daniel 
B. Taylor's, second and third resolutions, (as 
above.) The fifth approves the proposed con- 
stitutional amendment and Senator Cooley's 
advocacy of it. The sixth desires union in 
the party, if it can be attained through uni- 
formity and agreement in principle. The 
seventh declares the Baltimore platform 
•' neither a compromise of principle nor an 
amnesty to hostile factions," and the eighth 
recommends the candidates. 

George G. Sickles, of New York, offered an 
additional resolution of admiration and con- 
fidence in Daniel S. Dickinson, which was 
adopted. 

A State Committee was appointed, among the 
members of which were, Augustus Schell, of 
New York; Thomas B. Mitchell, of S3he- 
nectady; and Harmon S. Cutting, of Buffalo. 
Eloquent speeches were made to the Con- 
vention by Samuel S. Bowne. of Otsego, Or- 
viLLE Clark, of Washington, Aaron Ward, of 
Westchester, Harmon S. Cutting, of Erie, 
Mike Walsh, of New York, and Lieutenant 
Governor Ashbel P. Willard, of Indiana. 
Among the delegates acting in this Convention, 
(93 in all.) were John S. NAFLw^.f Albany, 
AusBURN BiRDSALL, of Broomc, C^AS. Gray, 
of Herkimer, William Carlisle, of Jefferson, 
Joseph M. Marsh, Mike Walsh, and Edwin 



4T 



Oroswell, of New York, Sanford C. Parker, 
of Onondaga. &c. 

The Soft Convention met at Market Hall in 
the afternoon, and organized by appointing A. 
P. Grant, Chairman. It nominated for Secre- 
tary of State, Isaac A. Verplanck; for Comp- 
troller, Robert Kelly ; for Attorney General, 
Martin Grover ; for Treasurer, Francis Seger ; 
for Canal Commissioner, A. J. Yates ; for 
Sate Engineer, W. H. Bristol ; for Prison In- 
spector, William C. Dryer; for Judges of 
Appeals, Judges Ruggles and Denio ; and for 
Clerk of Appeals, Albert Edgerton. This 
Convention was addressed by John Cochrane, 
Lorenzo B. Shepard, John Van Buren, 
George Rathbun, of Cayuga, and other able 
speakers. Of the gentlemen on the Soft ticket, 
Messrs. Verplanck, Kelly, Grover, Bristol, 
Dryer, and Edgerton, had been Van Buren 
men. Of Dryer, The Albany Atlas had said, 
in 1848, during Polk's administration : 

" William C. Dryer, late Postmaster at 
Victor, Ontario county, fell under the censure 
of the slave power at Washington, and was 
dismissed from office for opposing the ' diffu- 
sion' of slavery." 

Of Kelly, the Hard majority of the Tam- 
many General Committee, on the 9th Febru- 
ary, 1850 — had said : 

'■' Resolved, that the individuals in this Com- 
mittee who voted against Cass and Butler at 
the last Presidential election, viz : Rynders, 
Purser, Downing, Kelly, and Miller, be ex- 
pelled from the Committee." 

Of Martin Grover, the following extract from 
his letter, accepting the " Liberty" nomination 
for Congress, in 1848, will speak : 

" If your nomination should be ratified by the 
people, I should regard it as evidence of their 
approval of my former efforts to resist the ag- 
gressive spirit of slavery, and a commission 
from them to carry on the war for another term." 

Among the members of the Soft or " Grant 
Convention," which nominated these gentlemen, 
in addition to those already named, were Stephen 
H. Peeks, of New York ; Danforth K. Olney, 
(who, however, left the Convention and refused to 
act with it ;) Wm. Cassidy, of Albany ; Pres- 
ton King, John Van Buren, &c. 

On the 16th September, the Court of Im- 
peachment came to a vote on the Mather case, 
which resulted in a triumphal acquittal of that 



gentleman, on all the counts. This result was 
hailed with great rejoicings by the Hards ; Mr. 
Mather was greeted with cheers on leaving the 
court, and publicly congratulated every where. 

The Washington Union now openly advo- 
cated the cause of the Softs in this State. It vol- 
unteered to vouch that all the Soft candidates 
on the Soft ticket, had been National Cass De- 
mocrats m 1848, although none but Seger and 
Yates had been ; and it accused Daniel S. Dick- 
inson of Freesoilism ; he whom the Freesoilers 
had been calling a " pro-slavery doughface," for 
ten years ! In a manly letter Mr. Dickinson re- 
plied to this charge, and convinced every reader 
of its meanness and falsity. 

At a Soft ratification meeting, held at Tam- 
many Hall, Gkeene C. Bronson, the U. S. Col- 
lector, and Charles O'Conor, the District At- 
torney, were invited to speak. Both these gen- 
tlemen wrote letters of refusal, declining to 
recognize either the Soft ticket or the organiza- 
tion out of. which it sprung. Their letters were 
addressed to William D. Kennedy, Chairman of 
the Committee of arrangements. 

At a Hard ratification meeting, held a few 
evenings after, Joseph M. Marsh called to or- 
der, and moved Augustus Schell into the 
Chair. Letters approbatory of the object of 
the meeting were received from GreEx\e C. 
Bronson, Charles O'Conor, Samuel Beards- 
ley, and Francis B. Cutting. Speeches were 
made by Daniel S. Dickinson, George W. Clin- 
ton, Mr. Schell, James T. Brady, Mike Walsh, 
and John C. Mather. 

A number of Southern papers manfully re- 
buked the course taken by the Administration 
at the dictation of Marcy and Van Buren in aid 
of the New York Softs. Among them the Alex- 
andria (Va.) Sentinel, the Southside Democrat, 
Richmond Enquirer, Louisville Democrat, Wash- 
ington Sentinel, New Orleans Courier, &c. The 
Richmond Enquirer franldy said : 

_ " It is enough for us that we find the Aboli- 
tionists and Barnbfurners of 1848 — the men 
whose traitorous assaults upon the rights of the 
South shook the Union to its centre — arrayed 
in fierce hostility against the gallant band of pa- 
triots who, under the head of Dickinson, have 
stood firmly and fearlessly by the Constitution 
and the Union." 

On the 3d October, Secretary Guthrie, ad- 
dressed a letter to Collector Bronson, complain- 
ing that his appointments " have been very gen- 
erally made from that portion of the party to 



48 



which you (Judge Bronson) adhere," (i, e. the 
anti-Freesoil, or Hard " portion,") and express- 
ing the expectation that Judge B. would " re- 
cognize," the Freesoil " portion of the party," 
" in the only way that will carry conviction with 
it." To this letter Judge Bronson replied, de- 
clining to appoint Freesoilers to office, and de- 
nying both the Secretary's premises and policy. 
At the same time an able letter written by Mr. 
O'CoNOR in reply to the Washington Union, and 
Mr. Guthrie, appeared. These letters were fol- 
lowed by the dismissal of Judge Bronson from 
the Collectorship, and the promotion of H. J. 
Redfield, then Naval Officer, to that office. This 
removal excited intense feeling, and stimulated 
the Hards to great exertions, Mr. Redfield being 
a very objectionable Soft. 

The Hard State Committee issued, October 
18th, an address rehearsing the outrages at Sy- 
racuse, and annexed to it was the following cer- 
tificate, signed by six New York gentlemen : 

To the Democratic Republican State Committee. 

" Gentlemen : — We, the undersigned, were 
delegates to the late Democratic Convention 
held at Syracuse, and perceiving that Mr. John 
Van Buren, with an audacity that has no paral- 
lel save in his own past history, and the Freesoil 
papers of this State with one honorable excep- 
tion, have denied that bullies and fighting men 
were introduced into the Convention, but alleged 
that, on the contrary, the Convention was one of 
the most quiet and peaceful assemblages ever 
held ; we feel it incumbent upon us as a public 
duty to expose the mendacity of these statements, 
and to report to you, who had called the Con- 
vention together, the facts of which we were 
eye witnesses. 

" We were at Brintnall Hall immediately af- 
ter it was opened ; and after most of the elected 
delegates had assembled, a numerous band of 
bullies and fighting men, most of whom were 
from the city of New York, rushed into the 
Hall, mounted the platform arranged for the 
officers of the Convention, surrounding the 
Chairman of the State Committee, Hon. Minor 
C. Story, while attempting to organize the Con- 
vention, and by their violent threats and bois- 
terous noises prevented, for a time, anything 
like organization. General Aaron Ward, a de- 
legate from Westchester county, then addressed 
Messrs. Cochrane and Van Buren, and requested 
them to withdraw these men to the other part 
of the room, which they declined to do, and from 
that time until the Convention left the Hall, the 
bullies and fighting men kept their places among 
the delegates, at times abusing and insulting 
them, and no one there present could doubt that 
they came there for the purpose of controlling 
the Ojnvention by violence. 

" We further certify to you that these men 



were about thirty in number, one-half of whom 
were on the platform, that among them we re- 
cognized several who are notorious characters in 
the city of New York, to wit : Jim Irwin, Ike 
Austin, Tom Wallace, Pat Mathews, Aaron 
Benay, and James Kerrigan, all of whom ap- 
peared to act by dirction and under the leader- 
ship of John Cochrane, Surveyor of the port, 
Isaac V. Fowler, Postmaster, and John Van 
Buren. We further certify that Ike Austin, 
Tom Wallace, and Pat Mathews were three of 
the rioters who were convicted for the riot and 
assault upon the Chairman of the Democratic 
General Committee at Tammany Hall, in De- 
cember last, and that Tom Wallace has since 
that time been appointed to an office by said 
Cochrane, in his department, and that Kerrigan 
has been likewise appointed by Fowler, in his 
department. 

" These facts can be proved by hundreds of 
respectable citizens, and we stand ready to sub- 
stantiate the same whenever lega,lly called on to 
do so. 

THOS. J. BARE, 

Second Assembly District. 
STEPHEN D. LAYMAN, 

Seventh Assembly District. 
E. W. GLOVER, 

Ninth Assembly District. 
THOMAS REILLY, 

Fifteenth Assembly District. 
ABRAHAM MOORE, 

First Assembly District. 
JOSEPH T. SWEET, 

Third Assembly District. 
New York, Oct. 18, 1853." 

The Tioga county Hards held their Conven- 
tion at Owego, on the 18th October, when 
Stephen Strong presented a series of able re- 
solutions, which were adopted. These declare 
that Pierce was indebted for his election to his 
pledge to maintain the Baltimore platform ; they 
refuse to recognize, as Democrats, the Softs 
and Freesoilers, who differ from the principles 
of that platform ; demand the enlargement and 
completion of the State canals, and express a 
continued confidence in Daniel S. Dickinson. 

Among the Hard caadidates for the State 
Senate in 1853, were James H. Hutchins, 
George G. Sickles, Abraham P. Stephens, 
Sanford C. Parker, Nathan Bristol, Francis 
E. Erwin, Nathan Dayton, &c. 

The removal of Judge Bronson was followed 
by that of many other Hard officials, mostly in 
country post offices. 

Toward the end of October, Martin Grover, 
the Soft candidate for Attorney General, in a 
speech at Wellsville, Allegany county, asserted 
that he occupied the same political position, and 



49 



held the same sentiments as to the Congressional 
restriction of slavery as he did in 1848. 

Mr. O'CoNOR, immediately on Collector Bron- 
son's removal, in a letter to the President, 
identified himself with Judge B. and resigned 
his place. But, as there was no patronage of 
consequence attached to his ofiBce, the President 
declined to accept his resignation. 

On the 28th October, a meeting to " support 
the administration," was held at Tammany. 
John Yan Buren spoke, and Johnny Austin 
fired 100 guns in the Park. 

The Hard State Committee issued a calm 
but indignant appeal upon the removal of Judge 
Bronson. 

A meeting of Democrats, in disapproval of 
Judge Bkonson's removal, was held, at Washing- 
ton city, at which Cornelius "Wendell, now 
Honse printer, offered a series of Hard resolu- 
tions, which were adojjted. 

The election resulted in the choice of the 
Whig State ticket. The Hard Democrats elect- 
ed seven Senators. Among them Thomas J. 
Barr, of New York ; James H. Hutchins, of 
Kings, and Peter S. Danforth, of Schoharie. The 
Softs elected two — Mark Spencer, and Zenas 
Clark, both Yan Buren men in 1848. In the 
Assembly only one of Ludlmv's Soft majority 
came back— Mr. Hall, of St. Lawrence. Among 
the Hard members were William B. Aitkin and 
George D. W. Clinton, of New York ; Andrew 
J. Mills, of Orange ; James J. Smalley, of Put- 
nam ; and Samuel D. Morris, of Kings. The 
Hards elected two of the eight Supreme Court 
Judges — the Whigs six. 

The question of the confirmation of Mr. Red- 
field's appointment, excited some anxiety inWash- 
ington, as the session of Congress approached. 



and the Washington Union, late in November, 
threatened : 

" The Democratic Senator, who votes against 
Mr. Redfield, except upon some valid, sound, and 
tenable ground, will have reason for personal and 
political regret for ever." 

Mr. Redfield was confirmed soon after. 

A congratulatory meeting was held in New 
York, on the 30th November, by the Hards, at 
which Mayor Westervelt presided. 

On the 9th December, 1853, the Albany Argus, 
in an article on the Nebraska region, foretold 
that the slavery question was to be encountered 
in organizing these territories. It said : 

" There is, also, a question, whether the prece- 
dent of non-interference with negro slavery, 
as established as to territories, by the Compro- 
mise measures, shall be adhered to, or whether 
the prohibition of that institution should be con- 
firmed by Congress," and it avowed itself hostile 
to the anti-Slavery prohibition. 

Again, on the 13th December, it returned to 
the subject, aiming to show the inconsistency of 
retaining the Missouri anti-slavery restriction, 
as to Nebraska and Kansas, when it had been 
dispensed with in Utah and New Mexico. These 
articles were from the pen of Gideon J. Tucker, 
one of the editors of the Argus. 

At the opening of the session of Congress, in 
December, Beverley Tucker, of the Washington 
Sentinel, who had manfully supported the cause 
of the New York Hards, was elected Printer to 
the Senate. 

Early in December, Collector Kromer, of 
Sackett's Harbor, (Hard.) was removed from 
office, at the demand of the Jefferson County 
Freesoilers. The Washington Union continued 
to denounce the Hards of New York, as " in- 
subordinate" and factious. 



50 



CHAPTER IX. 

From Jajojaey, 1854 — to January, 1855, 

The Harda and Softs on the Kansas Nebraska Bill. Opinions of Newspapers, Meetings, 

Conventions, and Public Men. Passage of tlie Bill. Rejoicings of the Hards, and 

Denunciations of the Softs. Hard State Convention. Nomination of Bronson and 

Ford. Passage of Nebraska Resolutions. Soft State Convention. The '-Inexpe- 

pedient and Unnecessary" Soft Platform Hard and Soft Congress Nominations. 

The N. T. Evening Post in Receipt of Patronage. Result of the Election,-- — ^Re- 
crimination among the Softs. 

In the beginning of January, 1854, the Al- Canal Amendment to the Constitution, how- 

bany Argus renewed its demand for the aboli- ever, only one Soft in each house voted in the 

tion of the obnoxious Missouri " Compromise" negative on the 4th of January, so utterly had 

Line, met the approval of the Hard press Gov. Seymour's party played out their hand on 

generally throughout the State. This was be- this question ! 

fore the introduction of Senator Douglas's bill. Early in January, a concerted attack, in de- 

The Hard Senators and Assemblymen met in fence of Secretary Marcy, was made by the Soft 

caucus at Albany, on the evening of January, newspapers upon John Mitchell, the Irish Re- 

2nd, 1854. James H. Hutchins, of Kings, publican. This was understood to be in revenge 

presided in the Senate caucus. The following for the general support accorded by the adopted 

resolution was adopted by that caucus, among citizens of the State to the Hard ticket in the 

others : previous election. 

At the same time, the Seneca Observer, edited 

"Resolved That we re-affirm our' consistent ^ ^ Sentell,made a violent onslaught upon 

adherence to the pnnciples oi the Compromise "^^ ^ . ., „ ,i.i 

measures of 1850, and we approve of each and "^^^ extension of slavery, contemplated, as 

all of them : that we stand on the Baltimore alleged, by the proposed Nebraska bill. This 

Platform and upon the admirable avowals of article was extensively copied and read, and 

the Inaugural Address of President Pierce ; educed a profound impression, 

and that we shall continue to decline any tellow- ^ _, ^^, - t ,1.11x1. 

ship or political association with any man, or The 8th of January was celebrated by the 

any party,' that does not reservedly and dis- National Hard Democrats of Rochester, and 

tinctly accord with these, the doctrines of the letters were received by their committee from 

National Democracy. ' many distinguished gentlemen, breathing a 

^ , , , ... . . , united hostility against Freesoilism. Among 

It also adopted resolutions recognizmg the ., 0, -d t t> , 

, , ., \ r^ , . ■, , these were, Samuel Beardsley ; Job Pierson, 

ticket headed by Clintox, as having been the ^^ Henry W. Rogers, of Buffiilo ; Ed- 

the regular Democratic State ticket- repu- ,,ii, Croswell, and others. Mr. Pierson wrote : 

diating " rowdyism" and " Shortboyism" — 

affirming the Fugitive Slave act, by name — " Let us cordially support the National ad- 
denouncing a Presidential action which would ministration, so long as the President adheres 
sacrifice to a " time-serving policy" those " men *« *¥ sentiments he avowed on the acceptance 
° ^ •' . of his nomination, and m his inaugural Address, 

at the north who had stood by the Constitu- 33^^ ^ever, never let us justify the removal of 
tional rights of the south," — and repeating the Judge Bronson, for no other avowed cause 
condemnation expressed by Thomas Jefferson of than that he would not select for the Custom 
the interference of federal officers in State House a due proportion of rowdies and Free- 

soilers. 
elections. 

Of the thirty-two Senators, seven were Hards, On the 9th of January, the Albany Atlas, 

and two Softs ; of the one hundred and twenty- the leading Soft paper, after full communication 

eight xVssemblymen, twenty-nine were Hard, with Mr. Marcy, spoke out, in an article said to 

nineteen Soft. Upon the Vaxderbilt have been also submitted in advance to Gov, 



51 



Seymour, and to have beeo approved by him, 
against the repeal of the Missouri line. Every 
Soft newspaper in the State, with but few ex- 
ceptions, echoed this opposition. On the con- 
trary, every Hard paper took ground against 
the invidious line. The Fulton County Demo- 
crat (Soft) said : 

" Nebraska is at present free : let it remain 
so while it continues in charge of Congress ; 
and, to make assurance doubly sure, let a clause 
prohibiting slavery be inserted as one of the 
fundamental provisions of its organization as a 
Territory." 

Of the Albany Atlas, resistance of the Kansas 
Nebraska bill, the Albany Journal (Sewardite) 
testified, saying : 

•' The Atlas of last evening has a strong, 
manly article against the Nebraska violation of 
national faith." 

The Washington Union, at the same moment, 
copied, with approbation, an article favoring 
the repeal of the Missouri line, from the Bmg- 
hamton Democrat, a paper supposed to express 
Mr. Dickinson's views. 

On the 9th of February, the Hard General 
Committee of New York city, Eichard Schell 
presiding, adopted a series of resolutions on the 
Kansas question, approving of the proposed 
repeal of the Missouri line. The first declares 
the Territories to be the common property of 
the States ; the second denies the right of Con- 
gress to prohibit slavery ; the third endorses 
Douglas's bill, as " sanctioned by the principles of 
the Democracy ;" the fourth denies the power of 
Congress to pass the Missouri line in 1820 ; 
the fifth re-affirms the non-intervention principle 
of 1850. 

The Kings County Hard Committee, about 
the same time, met, and passed resolutions ap- 
proving the course of Senator Hutchixs, and 
declaring that " the question of slavery in said 
(Kansas and Nebraska) Territories should be 
left to be determined by the people thereof." 

On the 7th of February, the Albany Argus 
gave a list of twenty-six Hard newspapers ac- 
tively supporting the repeal of the Missouri 
Compromise line, and showed that not one was 
opposing it. It also gave extracts from the lead- 
ing Soft papers — the New York Evening Post, 
Albany Atlas, Troy Budget, Utica Observer, 
Syracuse Standard, Rochester Union, Bufflxlo 
Republic St. Lawrence Republican, Ncwburgh 



Telegraph, and Seneca Observer, (edited by 
C. SentelJ,) against the bill. i 

On the 6th of February, the Young Men's 
National Democratic Club passed resolutions. 
The first resolves that the territories belong to 
the whole people of this Union ; the second, 
that Congress cannot prohibit or establish sla- 
very in them ; the third, that, in the admission 
of States, Congress can impose no conditions on 
the subject of negro slavery ; and the fourth de- 
clares a " hearty approval of Mr. Douglas's bill." 

On the 8th of February, resolutions against 
the repeal of the Missouri Compromise passed 
the Assembly, by a vote of 67 Seward Whigs 
and 14 Softs, in the afiirmation — all the Hards 
in the negative. In the Senate, the two Soft 
Senators voted /ar the resolutions — all the Hards 
against them. 

On the 10th of February, the Argus shewed 
that eight other leading Soft papers were out 
against the Kansas bill : — the Cooperstown 
Journal, edited by Samuel 31. Shaw ; Bath Ad- 
vocate, edited by W. C. Rhodes ; Dansville 
Democrat, Batavia Democrat, (owned by Col- 
lector Redfield ;) Elmira Gazette, (controlled by 
A. S. Thurston ;) Oswego Palladium, Chau- 
tauque Democrat, and Skaneateles Democrat. 
To this list of Soft papers, it suggested that tlie 
New York DaUy Times, (Sewardite,) might be 
added, as it contained a three column Custom 
House advertisement. 

The Mobile (Ala.) Register, at that time, in 
view of this new anti-slavery crusade, declared : 

" WTien the Softs join the crusade, they will 
cease to affiliate with the policy of the present 
administration, and will be treated as its op- 
ponents. The present signs are, that the Softs 
will not join this movement at- all." 

Yet they did join this movement, and they 
never received the promised treatment ! 

At an anti-Nebraska meeting held in New 
York, Robert Emmet, a Soft leader, and who was 
one of the electors on the Van Burenand Adams 
ticket in 1848, spoke in favor of the objects of 
the assemblage. 

On the 10th of February, the Hard General 
Committee of the City of Albany met, John 
S. Nafew in the chair, and S. G. Coui-tney 
acting as Secretary. Resolutions were adopted 
as follows : The first approves the Kansas bill, 
and the doctrine of non-interference with sla- 
very ; the second declares the Missouri line a 
usurpation by Congress" of powers not granted ; 



52 



the third and fourth approve the Canal Consti- 
tutional Amendment ; the fifth declares, that 
William L. Marcy, a citizen of Albany, does not 
possess the confidence, in a political sense, of his 
Democratic fellow-citizens ; and the last ap- 
proves of the support by the Hard members of 
the Legislature of the Constitutional Amend- 
ment, and of their opposition to the auti-Nebras- 
ka resolutions. 

On the 14th February, the Argus claimed 37 
Hard papers in favor of the Nebraska bill, and 
only two Soft papers, out of over 40, in favor of 
it. The same day, the New York Times, ejoy- 
ing Collector Redfield's patronage, boasted " that 
all the patronage at the disposal of the Govern- 
ment would not induce the Times to say one 
syllable in defence of that infamous outrage" — and 
the Evening Post (Soft) said : 

" With the exception of what appears in the 
Albany Argus and a few other prints of the 
Crosivell [Hard] faction, not a word in favor of 
the Nebraska fraud appears in the press of the 
free States which is not dictated from Washing- 
ton, and published to order. The faint and 
timorous assent to the fraud, expressed in the re- 
solutions of the Democratic (Soft) General Com- 
mittee of this city, was of that description." 

The Young Men's Hard General Commit- 
tee, of New York city, met Feb. 13, and adopt- 
ed resolutions. The first approves of the non- 
intervention principle of the Compromise of 
1850 ; the second declares that the Constitution 
and the laws of the United States, should be de- 
clared in force in Kansas and Nebraska, except 
the 8th section of the Missouri bill of 1820, 
(cstablLshing the Missouri line ;) and the third 
calls upon Congress for the adjustment of the 
Armstead claim. 

On the lYth February, the Albany Argus 
charged that Mr. Marcy had openly expressed 
liimself against the repeal of tlie Missouri line. 
Tlie Atlas tacitly admitted the charge. 

On the 3d February, the Hard Committee of 
Jefferson county met ; 0. P. Starkey, Chair- 
man. A sub-committee, composed of Lysander 
H. Brown, Pearson Mundy, and Erastus Haxe, 
reported resolutions, which were unanimously 
adopted by the County Committee. The first 
pomts to the proud attitude of the Hards ; the 
second approves of the repeal of the Missouri 
line, as being in pursuance of Democratic prin- 
ciples ; the third censures the administration 
for its hostility to National men in New York, 



and the fourth advocates the Monroe doc- 
trine. 

A meeting of the Softs of Jefferson, held 
soon after, repudiated these resolutions, and de- 
clared the Hard paper (which had supported 
them) " unworthy of confidence." 

The St. Lawrence Republican (Soft) rejoiced 
over the election of Fessenden, U. S. Senator 
from Maine, " as an expression of feeling against 
the Nebraska bill." 

An anti-Nebraska, no-party, meeting was 
held at Rome early in February, and the Cen- 
tral Railroad, of which Dean Richmond was 
Vice-President, carried passengers thither and 
back at half-price. John B. Miller, Editor of 
Gov. Seymour's paper, the Utica Observer, pre- 
sided, and spoke at this meeting. The same 
evening Judge Douglas was burned in efBgy. 
The Hards denounced the act of this meetmg, 
and nominated David Wageb as the the Ne- 
braska candidate for Mayor. Of course he was 
beaten. 

An anti-Nebraska meeting was held at Syra- 
cuse, February 18, Dennis McCarthy presided, 
and Patrick H. Agan acted as Secretary. Mr. 
McCarthy addressed the meeting asTollows : 

■ " The question of Compromise has been a con- 
ceded question since the organization of our gov- 
ernment. It is an essential ingredient of our 
National Legislation, and necessary to the sta- 
bility and success of our institutions. No ques- 
tion has been more exciting than slavery. But 
for the Missouri Compromise, slavery would have 
acquired an ascendancy that would have been 
destructive to our nation. I, individually, care 
not a whit for compromises. If I alone were 
concerned, I would throw them all aside and de- 
clare war against slavery to the knife. [Ap- 
plause.] And if the Compromises are to be set 
aside at the convenience of others, I feel at lib- 
erty to agitate, so far as my conscience and the 
laws would permit. The attempted repeal of 
the Missouri Compromise is a bad move for the 
south, and the day will come when they will 
rue it. My objections to slavery are these. 
First it is wrong under the law of God and the 
universe, that any man should be held in bond- 
age. Second, labor, the lever that moves men 
and sustains the welfare of mankind, is by it de- 
graded and debased. Repeal the Missouri Com- 
promise, and where are our young men and adopted 
citizens to go in future ? Slavery on the south, 
and slavery on the west would confine them 
within too narrow limits. We cannot interfere 
with slavery at the south, but shall the great 
west be given up to its pernicious influence ? I 
too have made a mental reservation with regard 
to the resolutions of the Democratic State Ccmven- 
tion last fall, and on that question I joined in the 



53 



protest by Preston King. I do not coudemn the 
President so severely as do some who eutertaiu 
anti-slavery views like my own. I cannot be- 
lieve, without stronger evidence than has yet 
been adduced, that Franklin Pierce is commit- 
ed, body and soul, to the interest of slavery. No 
son of New Hampshire could be so recreant to 
the cause of freedom. I look to the House of 
Eepresentatives to interpose a check to this 
last scheme of slavery aggrandizement. But if 
the worst comes to the worst, and Franklin 
Pierce and his administration seek to make it a 
test of partisanship, all he (McCarthy) could do, 
is to break loose from his partisan connexion 
and go to that party which would best sustain 
the rights of man. [Great applause.]" 

A Hard meeting, at Gardiner, Ulster county, 
February 26, resolved — first in favor of the Ne- 
braska bill ; second in opposition to Congress- 
ional interference with slavery, and third in ap- 
proval of the course of Messrs. Cutting and 
Walbridgc. 

The Softs of this State were greatly encour- 
aged in their opposition to the Kansas bill by 
the language of the Washington Union, which 
on the 5th March, said : 

" "We are aware that there are other Demo- 
crats who objected to the Compromise of 1850, 
when it passed, but who have since acquiesced 
in it, who are not prepared to sustain the Ne- 
braska bill. In our judgment it would be as 
unwise as it would be unjust to regard and treat 
such opponents of the measure as thereby abo- 
litionizing themselves." 

This was republished throughout the State 
by the Soft press, as affording additional proof 
that the administration held that men could be 
Democrats and Freesoilers at the same time. 

Mr. Seward, in the Senate, presented a petition 
from Albany against the passage of the Kansas 
bill, signed by Yan Dyck and Cassidy, editors 
of the Albany Atlas. 

Eli Cook and B. Welsh, Jr., (leading Softs,) 
of Buffalo, were present at a meeting, and officers 
of a meeting, which resolv; .1 the bill '• a breach 
of good faith." , 

On the 2d March, the N. Y. Times, (then 
semi official,) stated that Judge A. 0. P. Nichol- 
son, editor of the Washington Union had 
" pledged liimself to Gilbert Dean, of New York, 
(hat he would not make fealty to the Nebraska 
bill, a test of Democracy." " This," added the 
Times, " united the party, and secured Nichol- 
son's election," as House printer. 

On the ] 4th March, Judge Broxson wrote a 
letter to a New York paper, stating that since 
the Evening Post had republished what he had 



said in 1848, "against enacting the Wihnot 
Proviso, and against establishing slavery in free 
territory by the act of Congress," he desired " to 
make known also his opinion on the Nebraska 
bill. He added a letter written by him to the 
late Tabernacle anti-Nebraska meeting, in which 
he dissented from the views of these who had 
invited hun, and declared his approval of the 
proposed bill, as " important, by way of tBsert- 
ing a principle and removing a dangerous ele- 
ment of strife from the halls of Congress." He 
also enclosed a letter written by him, dated Feb. 
21, to Francis B. Cutting, member of Congress, 
(Hard,) approving the bill, on the ground that 
it removes the slavery question from Congress, 
and refers it to the local authorities where it 
belongs." He adds that for " uttering such 
sentiments," he supposes " he will be called a 
pro-slavery man, by the abolitionists, and yet, 
he is as much the friend of the slave as the best 
of them." 

About the same time another New York 
paper, published a letter from Judge Bronson, 
addressed to Stephen A. Douglas, dated 8th 
February, in which he says, " I fully approve of 
the great principle which you advocate." 

On the 13th March, Charles O'Conor 
writes to. a New York paper, " I have been, 
and am, decidedly in favor of the Nebraska 
bill." 

On the 9th March, the Hard Convention of 
Poughkeepsie city met and resolved against 
union, for the sake of spoils, with the Softs 
and Freesoilers, and in favor of the Nebraska 
bill. 

On the 20th March, the Albany Atlas claim- 
ed an anti-Nebraska Democratic majority in the 
New Hampshire Legislature, and declared it 
impossible that a United States Senator favor- 
able to the bill could be returned. John P. 
Hale was subsec[uent]y chosen. 

Mr. Yan Dyck, of the Atlas, was Yice-Prc- 
sident of an anti-Nebraska meeting at Albany, 
on the 23d March, at which Senator Douglas 
was burned in effigy. 

On the 2d April the New York Evening 
Post published a letter from D. T. Jones, Soft 
member of Congress from the Onondaga dis- 
trict, addressed to S. D. Dillayc, in which Mr. 
Jones called for the organization of the •' Demo- 
cracy," on the platform of " No slavery out- 
side of slave States ; no slavery under the legis- 
lation of Congress." 



54 



On the Tth April, the Hard Committee of 
New York city, passed resolutions denouncing 
the wholesale removal of National Democrats 
from office by the Soft United States Collector 
of this ' port, and the substitution of notorious 
Freesoil abolitionists in their stead; and also 
alleging, that the recent Democratic defeats in 
the eastern States Avere due to the unpopularity, 
not of the Nebraska bill, but of the personel of 
the administration, &c. 

On the 11th of April, the Hard State Commit- 
tee met in Albany and passed resolutions. The 
first declares a determination to maintain and vin- 
dicate then- organization and principles in spite 
of the proscription of the federal administra- 
tion ; the second consideres recent party reverses 
in other States as a verdict rendered, not against 
the Democracy, but against the administration ; 
the third approves of the course of the Hon. F. 
B. Cutting, the Hard Nebraska member of 
Congress ; the fourth congratulates the people 
on the adoption of the Constitutional Amend- 
ment ; and the fifth calls a State Convention 
for the 12th July at Syracuse. 

On the 18th April, the nomination of B. F. 
Angell as Consul to Houoluhu, to which we 
have before alluded, was rejected by the United 
States Senate, which was hailed with great sat- 
isfaction by the Hards. 

The Rochester Union (Freesoil) said, " We 
suspect his (Angell's) disagreement with Dick- 
inson had some agency in causing his rejection ;" 
and thereupon proceeded to bewail the action of 
the Senate. The Washington Star was also 
much displeased on the subject. 

The Albany Journal (Seward) of the 20th 
April, announced " with great satisfaction," that 
" Hon. Martin Grover, of Allegany, had taken 
strong ground against the Nebraska swindle." 
This proved true. Mr. Grover subsequently 
spoke in Tammany Hall, in September, 1855, 
on behalf of the Hatch (Soft) State ticket, along 
with John Kelly. 

The Young Men's National Democratic 
(Hard) Club, of New York, on the 21st April, 
passed resolutions responding to the action of 
the State Committee. 

On the 24th April, the Albany Atlas, the 
Marcy organ, charged that the Nebraska bill 
was " shaped to provoke controversy ;" that the 
result of its sanction by the adminitration had 
proved " disastrous ;" and that recent defeats 
were due to that " change of attitude" on the 



part of the administration which had alienated 
Freesoilers. 

On the 27 th, the Atlas published T. H. Ben- 
ton's speech against the bill, with high commen- 
dation The entire Soft press of the State copied 
the former and endorsed the latter. The Atlas 
(2Tth,) said : 

" One rises from the perusal of such a speech, 
only to wonder why such a bill as that it holds 
up to the public gaze, should ever have seen the 
light ; why men should link their political fame 
to it. We rejoice that in the south two such 
men as Benton and Houston have stood up to 
pronounce against it. It is a condemnation of 
a pro-slavery agitation by southern men — the 
voice of two brave Jackson Democrats, con- 
demning the latter day devices of modern politi- 
cians." 

The Rochester Union (Soft) added : 

" If his (Benton's) fellow-members do not heed 
the voice of the only man among them who was 
in active political life, when the Missouri Compro- 
mise was adopted, the people will." 

The Utica Observer (Gov. Seyjnours paper) 
copied as editorial the comments of the Atlas. 

On the 1st May, the Albany Argus, alluding 
to the fact that the Ohio Statesman boasted 33 
Nebraska papers in that State, claimed 45 in 
New York advocating the bill, viz': 40 Hard, 
3 Soft, (out of 46 Soft papers in all.) and 2, 
(New York Herald and Journal of Commerce,) 
neutral. 

About this time the Soft papers throughout 
the State published with approbation, an anti- 
Nebraska letter of Geo. Hastings (Soft) M. C. 

In May, Ebenezer S. Marsh, of Tompkins, 
Soft, (who on the floor of the State Assembly, 
on 30th June, 1853, had characterized what he 
called the " pro-slavery" sentiments of President 
Pierce's Inaugural as " damnable,'') was, on the 
recommendation of William H. Ludlotc, appoint- 
ed to a lucrative place in the New Yoi'k Cus- 
tom House, by Collector Redfield. 

On the 13th of May, an anti-Nebraska meet- 
ing was held in the Park, in New York, at 
which Mark Spencer, (then and now State Se- 
nator, and regularly re-nominated in 1855, by 
the Tammany Hall Softs) presided; Benjamin 
F. Butler (Soft.) spoke, declaring that he would 
rather vote for Seward than for Stephen A. 
Douglas, for President. The resolutions were 
chiefly a laudation of Thomas IT. Benton. 

On the 10th May, the Soft State Committee 



55 



met at Albany. Resolutions were introduced by 
one of the members, endorsing the Nebraska 
bill. -They were almost unanimously laid on the 
table by the Committee. 

On the 15th May. the Hard General Commit- 
tee of New York city, met and adopted resolu- 
tions. The preamble recites the fact, that, that 
Committee, on the 2d of February, had approv- 
ed of and sustained the principles of the Ne- 
braska bill ; the first resolution calls the attention 
of Democratic members of Congress from the 
city districts to said resolutions of May, as ex- 
pressing the sentiments of the Committee now 
as at that time ; that " as we have not hesi- 
tated to condemn a President when unfaithful 
to the trusts reposed in him, we are still less dis- 
posed to tolerate the acts of Representatives in 
Congress when arrayed in opposition to the 
views of their constituents ;" the second calls 
upon the city members for a faithful execution 
of their trust. This resolution was aimed at 
John Wheeler, M. C. from the central portion 
of the city. Mr. AY. however voted with the 
Whigs and Freesoilers against the bill, then 
joined the Know Nothings, and by the combin- 
ed vote of the Greeley Whigs and the members 
of that Order, was re-elected. 

The Buffalo Republic (organ of Israel T. 
Hatch) of same date declared, that the man who 
favored " the repeal of such a solemn and holy 
Compact," was engaged in committing '• a fraud 
upon the people." 

The Albany Argus, of 2Gth May, speakmg of 
the New Tork Hards who supported the Ne- 
braska bill, said : 

•* For them there was no administration favor, 
no promised support, at hand ; no possibility 
that of&cial patronage would be interposed to 
the faintest extent in their aid. Others may 
have had such promise of sustenance against 
Whig and Freesoil opposition at the north ; 
ihey had none. On the other hand, they were 
well aware that they must encounter not only 
the opposition of Whigs, but the dastardly cal- 
umnies and villification of journals like the Al- 
bany Atlas, which are suffered to speak for an 
administration with, those follies they deal gent- 
ly, and of whose daily bread they partake. All 
this they (the Hards) have risked and defied." 

It added : " Two or three years hence, how- 
ever, the Atlas will be asseverating its ' acqui- 
escence' in the Nebraska principle. Let the next 
Democratic Presidential Convention, with the 
Atlas folks waiting, cap in hand, at the door, 
carry out the Cabinet threat, and make Nebras- 



ka a " test," and we shall see who " shows the 
white feather." (The Atlas had been charging 
F. B. Cutting with " showing the white fea- 
ther" in voting for the bill.) 

The bill passed on the 22d of May ; on the 
24th, the Young Men's National Democratic 
(Hard) Club, met and 

Resolved, That we hail with congratulation 
the passage by Congress of the Act establishmg 
a government for the new Territories of Ne- 
braska and Kansas, in which the principle of 
non-intervention is recognized and asserted ; 
that the passage of that bill meets with our 
unanimous approval — an approval at once honest 
and heartfelt, because in accordance with Demo- 
cratic expectation." 

The Albany Atlas (Soft) of the 29th of May, 
declared boldly, on the other hand : 

" AMiilst we shall not be guilty of factious or 
inflammatory denunciations of the measure, we 
shall not wiJlLugly have it forced upon us as a 
standard of Democratic orthodoxy." 

The passage of the Nebraska bill was cele- 
brated at Port Jervis, by the Hards, by a grand 
jubilee, on the 29th of May. Col. Sam Fow- 
ler presided at and addressed the mass meeting, 
and a resolution was adopted expressing regret 
for the vote cast by the Soft member of Con 
gress from that district, Mr. Murray, against 
the bill. 

The Suffolk County Hard Committee met at 
Riverhead, 23d May, and passed resolutions re- 
affirming the Baltimore Platform, and the senti- 
m"fents of the President's Inaugural ; declaring 
for the right of self-government in the terri- 
tories, and denouncing the Freesoilism of the 
Softs. 

The editor of the Fulton County Democrat, 
(Soft.) W. N. Clark, officiated as Secretary of an 
anti-Nebraska meeting held early in June. 

The Biughamtou Democrat of June 8th, con- 
tained a long and remarkable article on the Mis- 
souri Prohibition, from the pen of C. W. Hall, 
of that village, which elicited general interest 
and perusal, as being understood to ex]3ress, to 
some extent at least, the views of Mr. Dickinson 
on the Nebraska bill. It sets out by declaring of 
this bill, " that Congress never had before it a 
measure, so far at least as the repeal of this Pro- 
hibition is concerned, involving more truly re- 
publican principles, or more deseiwing to become 
a law," and concludes an able review of the 
whole question by denouncing the Missouri Pro- 



66 



hibitiou, as " unconstitutional, in violation of tlie 
territorial right of self-government, and incon- 
sistent with the theory on which our institutions 
are founded." 

Early in June, the Otsego Democrat (Soft) 
declared : 

" The north must now control the govern- 
ment, or the south will rule the north, as with 
a rod of iron. Of this there can be no doubt, 
and we would urge upon the people of all par- 
ties the necessity of an immediate organization 
of some kind for this purpose." 

And the Rochester Union (Soft) spoke of 

" The recent treacherous and faithless conduct 
of the majority in Congress who repealed the 
Missouri Compromise, and thus opened afresh 
the womids it contributed so much towards 
healing." 

The Hard General Committee of New York 
city met June 22d, and passed resolutions, set- 
ting forth, "that whereas, at a public meeting, 
held under the call of its predecessor, at Tam- 
many Hall, March 2nd, 1850, the Democracy 
of New York city had declared against inter- 
ference with slavery in the territories by Con- 
gress : and whereas, the Committee had also, on 
the 2nd of February, 1854, re-avowed these 
opinions, and approved of the then contemplated 
repeal of the Missouri line, the committee there- 
fore resolved to congratulate the Democracy on 
the passage of the Nebraska bill, and congratu- 
lated Senator Douglas on his success, notwith- 
standing a slight defection in our own ranks." 

In June, 1854, Gov. Seymour appointed 
Elijah F. Purdy, a Freesoiler of 1848, Com- 
missioner of Emigration. The Governor had 
previously appointed John A. Kennedy, another 
Freesoiler of 1848, on the same commission. 

The Hards were now holding their County 
and District Convention, for the choice of 
delegates to the State Conventions. Several of 
these passed resolutions. 

The Cortland County Hards (Gen. Samuel 
G. Hathaway being a member from the town 
of Solon) resolved, that they approved of the 
Kansas and Nebraska act, so far as it estab- 
lishes the principle, that the people of the 
territories have the right to legislate for their 
own welfare. 

The Chemung County Hards resolved, that 
they approved the recent bill, which, ia their 
opinion, imbodied the true principle of Demo- 
cracy and self-government. 

Meanwhile, the Soft papers in the interior con- 



tinued on the anti-Nebraska track, and inflamed 
the prevailing excitement. The Chautauque 
Democrat (Soft) exclauned : " The north will 
rise as one man, and demand the restoration of 
that compact which has been ruthlessly tram- 
pled imder foot by this servile administration." 

The Syracuse Standard, (edited by P. H. 
Agan, who, in 1855, was the Soft candidate for 
State Prison Inspector,) declared that " New 
York will not return any representative who 
has sustained the bill, nor will any man be sent 
to Congress who is suspected of sympathy for 
the measure." The Dansville Democrat (Soft) 
said : 

" The Compromise is dead — is dead .' — that is 
the sound. The enemies of the Missouri Com- 
promise have killed it, and the friends of free 
territory are again at liberty." 

The Syracuse Standard (Soft) seriously re- 
commended the voters of the 29th Congress 
district to elect Fred. Douglass to Congress. 

The Hard Committee of Buffalo city met on 
the 26th June, and resolved that " we congratu- 
late the Democracy that the great principle of 
self-government in the territories has been vindi- 
cated, in the passage of the bill for the organi- 
zation of Nebraska and Kansas :" also de- 
nouncing the treasonable opposition to the ren- 
dition of a fugitive slave in Boston. Henry 
W. EoGERS presided on this committee. 

The Hard Convention of Orange County 
elected Col. Sam Fowler delegate to Syracuse, 
and resolved, that Frank Pierce had disappoint- 
ed the just hopes of the New York Democracy 
by his preference for, and association with, the 
Buffalo Freesoilers ; and that the principles of 
non-intervention and popular sovereignty are in 
harmony with the Democratic creed, and are the 
vital elements of the Kansas Nebraska bill. 

The Suffolk County Hard Convention re- 
solved, that the territories were the common pro- 
perty of the citizens of the Union, and all 
should be protected in their rights therein : it 
also endorsed the views of Daniel S. Dickmsou, 
and Greene C. Bronson. 

The Otsego County Hard Convention re- 
solved that the Nebraska bill was in accordance 
with the principles of the Compromise measures 
of 1850, and that they were opposed to its re- 
peal. 

The Seneca County Hard Convention ap- 
proved of the Kansas Nebraska act and the re- 
peal of the Missouri Compromise, and declared 



67 



that it disapproved the action of Andrew Oliver, 
member of Congress, and such other members as 
voted against it. 

From Erie county, William Williams and 
Harmon S. CuttixVg were sent as delegates to 
the State Convention. The District Convention 
congratulated the Democracy on the re-avowal of 
the non-intervention principle, denounced the 
Boston abolitionists, and declared that the ad- 
ministration had appointed notorious Freesoilers 
to office. 

On the 26th June, Gov. Seymour appointed 
Gilbert Dean, a Soft member of Congress, who 
had both spoken and voted against the Kansas 
Nebraska bill, to the high position of Justice 
of the Supreme Court, to fill a vacancy. 

The Saratoga Hards met in Halfmoon, and 
resolved, that the President had proved recreant 
to his trust, by his attempts to reward enemies 
and disown friends : also in favor of Con- 
gressional non-intervention, and denouncing the 
appointment to office of opponents of that 
principle. 

The Hard Convention of Chautauque re- 
solved, first, in approval of the Baltimore 
Platform : second, of the Inaugural Address, 
regretting that its sentiments were not carried 
out to the letter ; third, denouncing Pierce's ap- 
pointment of Freesoilers ; fourth, regarding the 
Kansas bill " as highly just and proper ;" fifth, 
opposing anti-slavery agitation. Benjn. Wal- 
worth sat in the Chautauque Convention in the 
Second district, as delegate from the town of 
Pomfret. 

The Columbia County Hard Convention met, 
£Jid was addressed by Robert McClellan, m fa- 
vor of the Nebraska bill. His remarks were 
received with gi-eat applause. 

The Herkimer County Hard Convention re- 
solved in favor of quieting sectional agitation 
by the application of the doctrine of non-inter- 
vention ; and denounced the administration for 
its patronage of Van Buren Freesoilers. 

The Genesee County Hard Convention elected 
Junius A. Smith a delegate to Syracuse, and 
resolved, (James G. Shepard being on the Com- 
mittee of Resolutions,) in opposition to sectional 
agitation, in favor of the Monroe doctrine, and 
in denunciation of the favoritism exhibited 
towards unrepentant Freesoilers by the admin- 
istration. 

The Monroe County Hard Convention de- 
clared for non-intervention, as laid down in the 



Nebraska bill^ and emphatically denounced 
Nativism. 

The Ontario Hard Convention elected Thomas 
M. Howell delegate to Syracuse, and declared 
that " the principles recognized and imbodied m 
the Kansas bill met its unqualified approbation ; 
and that our Representative in Congress, the 
Hon. Andrew Oliver, in his opposition to the 
same, disappointed the expectations, and mis- 
represented the sentiments, of the National De- 
mocracy." It also resolved, in censure of the 
appointment of anti-Nebraska men to office by 
Pierce and Seymour. 

The Cayuga County Hard Convention elected 
among its delegates Charles W. Pomeroy, and 
resolved in favor of the Baltimore Platform of 
1852 ; also, « that the principles of non-inter- ^• 
vention and popular sovereignty, which are 
the vital elements of the Nebraska bill, are in 
strict conformity with the Compromise legisla- 
tion of 1850, and in strict harmony with the 
Democratic creed ;" also in recognition of 
Daniel S. Dickinson and Greene C. Bronson. 
The Wyoming County Hard Convention 
elected A. S. Stevens (now a member of the 
Hard State Committee) its delegate, and re- 
solved in favor of the Nebraska bill, and in de- 
nunciation of federal interference with our State 
elections. 

The Saratoga County Hard Convention resolv- 
ed in favor of the Kansas bill ; against the aboli- 
tion agitation ; and also, that Pierce, by the ap- 
poinment to office of deserters from Democratic 
principle, had forfeited confidence and respect. 

The Albany Atlas having charged that John 
Vanderbilt, of Kings, was opposed to the 
Kansas bill, the Williarasburgh Independent 
Press resented the charge, on his behalf, as " a 
slander" — as it proved to be. 

The call for the celebrated Saratoga anti-Ne- 
braska Convention appeared on the 4th July, 
calling the Convention for the 15th of August. 
Azariah C. Flagg, (renominated in 1855 ,at 
Tammany Hall, for City Comptroller,) Robert 
Emmet, (who was, with John C. Beekman, on 
the Van Buren electoral ticket in 1848,) and 
other leading Softs, were signers of this call. 

In Allegany county the call for an anti-Ne- 
braska meeting bore the signatures of eleven 
Softs, thirteen Whigs, and eleven Abolitionists 
as the the Committee of Arrangements. 

On the 10th July, the Albany Argus, by re 
quest of Mr. Dickinson, denied that that gen- 



58 



tleman had written to members of Congress, 
urging them to vote against the Kansas bill, as 
had been alleged by the Washington Union. 

It also denied, by authority, that Geokge W. 
Clinton had l)een opposed to the bill. 

The Franklin County Hard Convention pa^sad 
resolutions reported by W. H. Payne, claim- 
ing " that not even the professed friendship of a 
recreant Executive and a coalition Cabinet 
could drive any considerable number of Na- 
tional Democrats from the support of the Ne- 
braska bill ;" that " they have supported, and will 
support the Nebraska bill;" that Nativism is 
opposed to equal rights and equal laws, and is a 
a proscriptive and dangerous element. 

The Hard State Convention met at Syracuse 
on the 12th July, 1854. Among its delegates 
were Caxvin T. Chamberlain, of Allegany; 
William Williams, of Erie ; Winslow C. 
Watson, of Essex ; Junius A. Smith, of Gene- 
see ; Henry C. Murphy, of Kings : Wm. N. 
McIntire, of New York ; Samuel Beardsley, 
of Oneida ; Sanford C. Parker, of Onondaga ; 
Sam Fowler, of Orange ; Delos De Wolf, of 
Oswego ; Samuel S. Bowne, of Otsego; 
Thomas B. Mitchell, of Schenectady ; Archi- 
bald C. NivEN, of Sullivan ; besides many who 
are alternates on the Hard Cincinnati delegation. 

Judge Beardsley presided, and, on motion of 
Judge Tremain, of Albany, whose most eloquent 
speech electrified the assemblage, Greene C. 
Bronson was nominated for Governor by accla- 
mation, the motion being seconded by Junius 
A. Smith, the representative of the district 
where Judge Bronson's successor, Mr. Redfield, 
resided. 

Judge Bronson's letter of declension was dis- 
regarded : Elijah Ford, of Erie, was nominated for 
Lieutenant-Governor, Clark Burnham, for Canal 
Commissioner, and Abram Vernam, for Pri- 
son Inspector. H. C. Murphy, of Kings, re- 
ported the resolutions, which were received with 
emphatic and enthusiastic applause, especially 
the one indicating approval of the recent acts of 
Congress for the organization of Nebraska and 
Kansas. The resolutions^were unanimously adopt- 
ed, as follows : 

Resolved, That the National Democracy of 
the State of New York hereby re-affirm their ad- 
herence and devotion to the doctrines imbodied 
in the resolutions of the National Democratic 
Conventions of 1848 and 1852, as the great car- 
dinal principles of the Democratic party of the 
Union, declaring them to be now, as ever, the 



principles which they heartily accept and cherish 
and which they are fully ' detei-mined to sus- 
tain. 

" Resolved, That the doctrine of non-interven- 
tion by Congress, the right of the people of the 
territories to make their own local regulations 
and temporary laws, (subject only to the powers 
relinquished by the States to the general go- 
vernment,) including all regulations relating to 
domestic servitude, have long been prominent 
and leading features in the creed of the National 
Democracy ; that the policy indicated in the 
resolutions introduced by the Hon. Daniel S. 
Dickinson, in the Senate of the United States, 
on the 14th December, 1847, in which it is de- 
clared as follows, viz : 

" ' Resolved, That true policy requires the Go 
vernment of the United States to strengthen its 
political and commercial relations upon this 
continent, by the anexatiou of such contiguous 
territory as may conduce to that end, and can 
be justly obtained ; and that neither in such 
acquisition, nor in the territorial organization 
thereof, can any conditions be constitutionally 
imposed, or institutions be provided for or 
established, inconsistent with the right of the 
people thereof, to form a free sovereign State, 
with the powers and privileges of the original 
members of the Confederacy.' " 

" ' Resolved, That in organizing a territorial 
government for the territories belonging to the 
United States, the principle of self-government 
upon which our federative system rests will be 
best promoted, the spirit and meaning of the 
Constitution be observed, and the Confederacy 
strengthened, by leaving all questions concern- 
ing the domestic policy therein, to the legislature 
chosen by the people thereof :' " — 

" ' Is the true doctrine of the National Dem- 
ocracy of this State, and has long been main- 
tained by them in opposition to all attempts 
at Congressional interference with the affairs of 
of the people of the territories, whether under 
the pretence of slavery restriction or any other 
local regulation ; that this doctrine secures to 
the people of the several States their equal 
rights in the territories, and enables them as 
they become States, to fashion their own insti- 
tutions on the principles of free self-government, 
unembarrassed by Congressional interference or 
dictation ; that the National Democracy can 
point with pride to their past action in sustain- 
ing such doctrines at all times and under all 
circumstances, amidst the shock of Freesoil and 
Abolition assaults, and successfully preserving 
the Constitution from violation, and the rights 
of all sections of the Union from infringement ; 
and that we approve of the recent act of Con- 
gress for the organization of Nebraska and 
Kansas, so far as it establishes the principle 
that the people of the territories have the same 
inherent right to legislate for their own wel- 
fare, as is exercised by the people of the States.' " 

" Resolved, That the Presidential campaign 
of 1852, was begun and conducted upon the 
principles of the National Democracy — that the 



59 



brilliant triumph then achieved was the triumph 
of those Principles — that the Democratic party 
of the Union was not then an assemblage of in- 
congruous elements nor a coalition of adverse 
sentiments and opinions banded together for 
purposes of public plunder — but was organized 
and united upon its time-honored principles, 
owing no obligations to factions, pledged to the 
bestowal of no rewards, and bound by every 
consideration of honor and justice to maintain 
its position and principles before the country. 

" Resolved, That the President of the United 
States, by his unwarrantable interference with 
our local politics — his palpable and alarming 
invasion of State rights, and the unjustifiable 
Jind undisguised use of his patronage to control 
our State elections, has violated his obligations 
to his party, his allegiance to the Constitution, 
and his duty to the country, and alienated from 
his administration a majority of those in this 
State who cast their votes for him in 1852. 

" Resolved, That the National Democracy of 
this State contemplate with high satisfaction 
their agency in effecting the amendment to the 
Constitution which has placed the enlargement 
and completion of the canals, at an early period, 
beyond a contingency, and we congratulate the 
people of the State that the eminent success 
which has thus far attended its execution, has 
fully justified the exjiectations and hopes of its 
projectors. 

" Resolved, That" all coalitions are unmanly 
and dishonest, and lead only to tricks and strug- 
gles for ascendancy between the discordant in- 
terests which have bargained to coalesce ; that 
we must confide solely for success in the intrinsic 
excellence of our principles, as having their 
foundation in eternal truth and justice, and 
therefore destined, through whatever fluctuations 
of fortune, ultimately to prevail ; that all those 
who are with us in sentiment and feeling, we 
cordially invite to aid us in giving effect to those 
principles, by assisting to build up and consol- 
idate the National Democratic party of New 
York." 

This was the first State Convention which en- 
dorsed the Nebraska bill. 

The Convention appointed a State Committee, 
the Chairman of which was Augustus Schell, 
of New York. 

On the 16th July, John IL Reynolds, Post- 
master at Albany, was removed for the crime 
of sustaining the above resolutions and can- 
didates. 

The Washington Union never published the 
resolutions passed by the Convention, but per- 
sisted in misrepresenting and perverting the 
proceedings. 

Charles O'Conok's resignation as United 
States District Attorney having been at last 
accepted by the President, a vacancy existed in 
in that office. T. R. Westbrook, of Ulster, fail- 



ing to get appointed as his successor, the Soft 
papers generally scored him for not " getting 
his pay" for voting for the Nebraska bill. The 
Chautauque Democrat reminded him that " the 
way of transgressor is hard." The Delhi Ga- 
zette remarked : " so it seems Mr. Westbi-ook has 
not received the reward of his treachery, aftei- 
all." The Newburg Telegraph sneered, " poor 
Westbrook ! He who voted for the Nebraska 
bill, and in his anxiety to secure the District 
Attorneyship, procured the signatures to an ap- 
plication for his appointment of eighty Nebraska 
representatives — sadly disappointed at thus losing 
the oats." All these are Soft papers. So that 
Softs were discarding their members who voted 
for the bill, while the Hards were endorsing the 
bill, and those who supported it in Congress ! 
Jolm McKeon was finally appointed to the 
District Attorneyship. 

The Plattsburg Republican (Soft) called the 
.adoption of pro-Nebraska resolutions by the 
Hard State Convention the " committing of 
political suicide." 

The Steuben County Farmers' Advocate 
(edited by Wm. C. Rhodes) electioneered against 
Judge Bkonson thus : 

" Southern men could not possibly desire a 
candidate more subservient to their policy of 
extending slavery than Judge Bronson. There 
is a boldness about his professions on that ques- 
tion, which cannot be exceeded by the veriest 
' fireater' of the south. The ex-Collector is de- 
cidedly Hard. If he were running for Gover- 
nor in Georgia, or South Carolina, there would 
be little doubt of his election." 

Several U. S. Collectors and Postmasters were 
removed in August, for advocating the election 
of Judge Bronson. 

On the 4th August, the Albany Atlas alluded 
to the Soft State Convention called for Septem. 
ber, and hoped it would " proclaim its repug- 
nance to the whole policy in which the Nebras- 
ka scheme originated ;" " stigmatize the meas- 
ure as a mischievous, sectional contrivance of 
demagogues ;" " and disclaim the responsibility 
of the Democratic party for it." 

The Hudson Freeman {John P. Beekman's 
home organ) declared that " no course of party 
tactics will ever make the Democracy of old 
Columbia come into line with the authors of 
the late high-handed political fraud," (the Kan- 
sas bill.) The Hudson Gazette (then Hard) 
supported the bill openly. 

The Young Men's Hard General Committee of 



60 



New York met August 14, and responded to 
the action of the Syracuse Convention, ap. 
proved the Kansas bill, and disapproved of the 
course of the Democrats who voted against it in 
Congress. 

In the middle of August, Stephen C. Parker, 
editor of the Geneva Gazette, one of the earliest^ 
promptest, and firmest advocates of the Kansas 
Nebraska bill, and of the repeal of the Mis- 
souri line, was removed from the office of Post- 
master of that village, and Luther Kelly (Soft) 
appointed in his stead. 

The Seneca Observer, edited by Calvin Sentell, 
demanded that other Hards should be re- 
moved. 

The Saratoga anti-Nebraska Convention 
met on the 10th May. Among the leading 
Softs who were delegates, were Azariah C. 
Flagg, Mark Spencer, Wm. T. McCoun, John 
Van Buren, Silas M. Burroughs, John Snow, 
of Madison; F. P. Bellinger, Benjamin F. 
Butler, &c. 

The Ithaca Democrat (Hard) published the 
Kansas bill in full, and offered the type to its 
Soft and Whig neighbors for use in their col- 
umns. None of the Soft or Whig newspapers 
published the bill throughout the State. 

The Fulton County Democrat (Soft) nomi- 
nated T. H. Benton for President, because " he 
had lifted his voice against the Kansas-Nebras- 
ka iniquity." 

The Cayuga New Era (Soft) was opposed to 
pro-Nebraska resolutions at the Soft State 
Convention, and deprecated " any disposition to ■ 
purchase an alliance with the Hards by disguise, 
or silence, on this important question ;" and it 
" repudiated the wholesale deunciation visited 
upon the Saratoga Convention and its friends." 

The Rochester Union (Soft) said that " the 
sooner the idea is abandoned of bringing the 
Democratic press of the whole county to echo 
the same sentiments in respect to the Nebraska 
bill, the better will be the prospect for a con- 
tinuance of Democratic ascendancy." 

The Soft District Conventions, in most in- 
stances, passed no resolutions ; but there were 
exceptions. In Queens County they resolved 
against the Nebraska bill, Abijah Mann and 
Henry F. Jones being chosen delegates. In 
Delaware County anti-Nebraska resolutions 
were adopted. In Madison County, the Soft 
Convention 

" Resolved, That in the organization of Ter- 



ritorial governments for Kansas and Nebraska 
the incorporation therein of the amendment of 
Dixon, a Whig Senator, from Kentucky, re- 
pealing the Missouri Compromise, meets our un- 
qualified disapprobation, as violating an estal>- 
lished and sacred National Compact." 

The Orange County Soft Convention de- 
nounced the Kansas bill, as having " demoral- 
ized and destroyed" the party. The Livingston, 
County Soft Convention repudiated the bill, 
though expressing " confidence" in the Presi- 
dent." The Chautauque County Soft Conven- 
tion (fifteen federal officials being members) ap- 
proved Mr. Fenton's vote in Congress against 
the bill. The Delaware County Soft Conven- 
tion declared the repeal of the Missouri line " a 
faithless act." The Ontario County Soft Con- 
vention passed strong abolition resolutions. In 
the Yates County Soft Convention, the Com- 
mittee on Resolutions reported a series advo- 
cating the Wilmot proviso and Missouri Com- 
promise Line, declaring against " more slave 
states," and lauding the administration of 
Pierce : these were adopted. A resolution de- 
manding the repeal of the Fugitive Slave law 
was then introduced ; a motion to table it was 
lost, and it was adopted, 20 to 10. The Buffalo 
Fifth Ward Softs resolved in favor of Seymour 
for Governor ; also against the Nebraska bill 
and against the Maine Law. The Saratoga, 
County Soft Convention denounced the " Ne- 
braskality," and particularly approved Mr. 
Hughes's vote against it in Congress. The Jef- 
ferson County Soft Convention declared opi- 
nions on the slavery question " not a test of 
political faith," inferring that an abolitionist 
may be a Democrat. 

The Albany Argus, on the 4th September, 
congratulated the administration on having two 
Soft Nebraska newspapers in the State of New 
York. 

The Soft State Convention met at Syracuse 
September 6. Lorenzo B. Shepard, an office 
holder under Gov. Seymour, in the chair. Wm. 
H. Ludlow was made permanent President. 
Among the Vice-Presidents were H. F. Jones, 
of Queens ; Piatt Potter, of Schenectady, (who 
had refused, at the Astor House, in 1853, to 
agree to resolutions passed by the Democratic 
State Committee, in favor of the national sen- 
timents of the President's Inaugural ;) H. J. 
Sickles, of Orleans, and other members of the 
Buffalo Convention of 1848. 

The following resolution was passed by this 



61 



State ConventioD, relative to the Kansas ques- 
tion : 

" Resolved, That we consider the clause in the 
Nebraska and Kansas bill, repealing the Mis- 
souri Compromise, as inexpedient and unneces- 
sary ; but we are opposed to any agitation hav- 
ing in vie the restoration of that line, or 
tending to promote any sectional controversy in 
relation thereto." 

Mr. Mann offered a resolution fiercely de- 
nouncing the Nebraska bill, which was cut off 
by the previous question. Three cheers being 
called for the Nebraska bill, the call was re- 
sponded to by a shower of hisses. This Con- 
vention nominated Seymour for Governor, and 
Ludlcw for Lieutenant-Governor. It dwindled 
down to one third of its members before it ad- 
journed. Yet Gov. Seymour, running on the 
popularity of his Maine Law veto, and uncom- 
mitted on the Nebraska bill or the Know 
Nothing question, was a very strong candidate. 

The Hards of Suffolk County 'held a Con- 
vention, and passed resolutions — one congratu- 
lating the country that our nation is no longer 
divided by the Missouri line, and endorsing the 
July platform. 

The Hard General Committee of New York 
passed resolutions endorsing the July platform. 

The Albany Argus charged, that only one of 
the ofiBcers of the Soft State Convention had 
voted for Cass and Butler in 1848. 

The Chautauque County Hard Convention 
made a full local ticket, (Benjamin Walworth 
being a member,) and adopted resolutions en- 
dorsing the Hard State platform, denouncing 
the course of the Soft member of Congress, R. 
E. Fenton, and declaring that Pierce's course 
in nourishing and patronizing sectional men, had 
alienated from him the National Democrats of 
this State. 

The Rochester Union (Soft) thus expressed 
its opinion of John Cochrane, of New York : 

" vTere he (Cochrane) possessed of a proper 
sensibility, and did he understand the reputation 
that he, a Buffalo platformist, has earned by his 
toadyism to Douglas, and his eulogies of Ne- 
braska, he would shrink away from the public 
gaze, and curse the day he swopped integrity for 
a fat office." 

William H. Ludlow, in the course of a news- 
paper controversy with Abijah Mann, in which 
he, Ludlow, is thought generally to have come 
off second best, wrote : 

" My own individual views on the Nebraska 



bill are well known. It is not my purpose, at 
this time, to enter into their discussion." 

Mr. Ludlow was indeed known to be an oppo- 
nent of the bill. 

John Cochrane, in the Soft State Convention, 
said : 

" At an earlier time, when I acted as an hum- 
ble member of the Barnburner party, I recollect 
their principles to have been Freesoil, free 
speech, free men. I stand on that platform now. 
[Loud applause.] And, sir, if the majority re- 
port, (meaning tne resolutions as passed) in any 
degree, affects that position, I must oppose it." 

The Hard Convention of the 16th Congress 
district met on the 11th September, and nomi- 
nated J. R. Flanders for Congress. Walter 
H. Payne, of Franklin, was a delegate from 
that county. The Convention passed resolutions 
denouncing the alliance of the administration 
in this State with the party traitors of 1848 ; 
declaring that the National Democracy cannot 
be driven or misled, by injustice and ingratitude^ 
into opposition to Democratic measures ; recog- 
nizing the State Rights principles of '98, and 
approving of the Kansas bill, and of the policy 
of encouraging foreign immigration and early 
naturalization of immigrants. 

The Ulster Democrat, on the authority of 
Mr. Murray, (Soft member of CongTess,) sta- 
ted, about the 30th September, that Theodore 
R. Westbrook, (Soft member of Congress,) who 
finally voted for the Kansas bill, was opposed to 
it at first, and was with difficulty " restrained 
from making an anti-Nebraska and sectional 
speech." 

On the 30th September, Mr. Dickinson de- 
livered a speech at Delhi, New York, which at- 
tracted great attention. It was a, brief exposi- 
tion of the doctrine of Congressional non-inter- 
vention, of which he is the author. 

The Cortland County Hard Convention 
passed resolutions endorsing the platform of the 
State Convention. The Ulster County Hard 
Convention, (Wm. F. Russell being a mem- 
ber,) resolved in approval of the State platform ; 
also, " that men do not lose their capacity for 
self-government by emigrating to the territories, 
and that new States and Territories are entitled 
to the same exercise of rights and privileges as 
the Colony and State of New York had claimed 
for herself ;" also, that their representative in 
Congress ( T. R. Westbrook) " erred in linking 
himself with the political villains and rowdies 
who, by force and violence, broke up the Demo- 



62 



cratic organization in the State in 1853, and 
who have always opposed the cardinal principles 
above set forth" — but approving his vote on 
the Kansas bill. 

The Pulaski (Oswego county) Democrat 
(Soft) declared : 

" On the general questions of governmental 
policy the Democracy and the Free Democracy 
hold like opinions. In our opinion, the (Soft) 
Democrats of the district, almost unanimously, 
will insist upon the nomination of Congressional 
candidates thoroughly representing the anti- 
slavery feeling of the district — all that the 
most ardent Free Democrat can desire." And it 
urged a union on Congress nominees. 

The Albany Atlas, on the 3d October, en- 
dorsed the recommendation by saying : 

" The Pulaski Democrat is hard at work, in 
Oswego county, in the cause of the Democracy 
and of popular liberty." 

The Putnam County Soft Convention re- 
solved, that " so much of the NebraskarKansas 
bill as repeals the Missouri Compromise meets 
our entire disapprobation ; and that we fully 
concur in the official declaration of the Wash- 
ington Union, that it is not to be regarded as a 
test of Democracy." 

The Hard Convention of the 25th Congress 
district met at Lyons, October 17th. William 
S. Aldrich was nominated, and resolutions ap- 
proving the Syracuse platform, and denouncing 
sectionalism, passed. 

The Hard Convention of Wayne County met 
and nominated James P." Bartle for County 
Judge, with a full ticket. A Committee, con- 
sisting of Wm. H. Cutler, and others, reported 
resolutions approving the Syracuse platform and 
the non-intervention doctrine, and denouncing 
Know Nothingism in decided terms. 

October 12, the New York Hard General 
Committee resolved, that its members " will not 
support, at the coming election, any candidate 
who does not pledge himself to the support of 
the platform of the 12th July." Messrs. Cut- 
ting and Walbridge, Nebraska members of 
Congress, were, on the same evening, re- 
nominated by the Hards, but declined ; and 
Messrs. Clinton and Curtis were nominated 
instead. Charles D. Mead, a Nebraska man, 
was nominated by the Hards, in place of 
John Wheeler, anti-Nebraska. Wheeler, how- 
ever, received a nomination from a bogus 
Convention of Know Nothings. The Softs 
put up a candidate against Col. Mead. — 



The Softs also nominated Fernando Wood fo 
Mayor. Gen. Walbridge, Nebraska Hard 
member of Congress, wrote a letter declining a 
re-nomination. 

At a Hard mass meeting held at Niagara 
Falls, 28th September, resolutions were adopted 
approving the Nebraska platform of 12th July, 
and congratulating the country that the Ne- 
braska bill " had smoked out the Soft Barn- 
burners of 1844, and the Freesoilers of 1848." 

Early in October, Elisha B. Smith was re- 
moved from the office of Postmaster at Nor- 
wich, at the demand of the Chenango County 
Freesoil Committee. 

The Saratoga Hard Convention, on the 23d, 
approved the State Convention's doings, and 
endorsed the Nebraska bill as a Democratic 
measure. The Chenango County Hard Con- 
vention endorsed the same ; also the Dutchess 
County Hards. 

The Rensselaer County Hard Convention met 
at Troy, October 12th. David L. Seymour was 
one of the delegates. Alansou Cook, was nomi- 
nated for Congress. Job Pierson was appointed 
one of the County Committee. 

The 21st Congress District Hard Convention, 
nominated Edward Tom2>kins for Congress, and 
approved the Nebraska platform of the State 
Convention. Samuel G. Hathaway presided. 

The Hards of Seneca county held their Coun- 
ty Convention, June 24th, at Bearytown,^ and 
their resolutions deplored the action of the De- 
mocratic members of Congress from this State 
who voted against the Nebraska bill. 

The Hard Congress Convention of the 28th 
district, met at Bath, October 19th. John A. 
Vandeelip was a delegate from Livingston, 
and Francis E. Erwin, from Steuben. Reso- ' 
lutions were passed approving the action of the 
State Convention, endorsing the Nebraska bill, 
and denouncing the course of Hon. George Has- 
tings, the anti-Nebraska Soft, M. C, from that 
district. The Convention nominated Leman 
Gibbs for Congress. 

The Hards of Oswego county, held their Con- 
vention on the 23d September, at Oswego, De- 
Los DeWolk, in the chair. Resolutions of the 
most decided character in favor of the Nebraska 
bill were adopted. 

The Hard Convention of the fourth Congress 
district met in New York, and re-nominated 
Mike Walsh by acclamation. It passed resolu- 
tions approving his course in Congress, includ- 
ing his vote for the Kansas-Nebraska bill. 



63 



The Hard Congress Convention of the 22d 
district, met at Syracuse on the 10th October. 
Resolutions approving those of the State Con- 
vention were adopted. William Lewis, of Os- 
wego, was nominated for the full term, and Za- 
dock T. Bentley for the vacancy, caused by Gar- 
rit Smith's resignation. 

The Hard Congress Convention of the 31st 
district, met at Middleport on the 21st October, 
and passed resolutions declaring approbation of 
the Kansas-Nebraska bill, and opposition to the 
Prohibitory Liquor law. It nominated Alden 
S. Baker for Congress. A Congressional Com- 
mittee, upon which are Harvey Goodrich, and 
Horatio N. Hewes was appointed. 

The Hard City Convention of New York una- 
nimously nominated Augustus Schell, for 
Mayor, but that gentleman declining, Mr. Hunt 
was nominated. 

The Oswego Democrat (Hard) charged that 
the Soft candidate of Congress in that District, 
had, in 1850, presided at a meeting which de- 
nounced the Fugitive Slave law. 

The Softs of Oneida County, where Governor 
Seymour resides, in County Convention, 

" Resolved, That the sentiment of this Con- 
vention is unequivocally opposed to the repeal of 
the Missouri Compromise, and to all legislation 
in favor of human slavery." Mr. Johnson was 
nominated for Congress by the Softs. The 
Hard candidate was Naaman W. Moore, a Ne- 
braska man. ♦ 

The Cayuga County Hard Convention met 
14th October. Charles W. Pomeroy was a 
member. The Nebraska platform, of the 12th of 
July, was endorsed. 

The Hard Convention of the IQth Congress 
district, nominated C. S. Woodworth for Con- 
gress, who had been the Cass candidate in 1848, 
for the same post, and reminded the Democracy, 

" That in 1848, our nominee for Congress 
was on the same ticket with our gallant stan- 
dard-bearer. Gen. Cass, the expounder of the 
doctrine of popular sovereignty (which the 
platform adopted by our State Convention, has 
so fully approved) and was struck down by the 
same ruthless hands that prostrated our noble 
leader." 

The County Convention of the Hards in 
Steuben, Jefferson, Sullivan, and Schoharie, pass- 
ed resolutions approving the Nebraska platform 
of the State Convention. 

The Softs of the 23d Congress district nom- 



inated Willard Ives, an old Buffalo platform 
man, anti-Nebraska, and in favor of the repeal 
of the Fugitive Slave law, for Congress. The 
Soft Convention of the 26th Congress district 
nominated Andrew Oliver (thrown overboard by 
the Hards) who had already published a letter in 
the papers announcing himself an " independent 
northern anti-Nebraska candidate." Mr. Oli- 
ver was re-elected, and is now a " Black Repul)- 
lican" member of Congress. Several Post- 
masters were members of these two Com'entions. 
The Hards of the 23d district nominated Lv- 
sander H. Brown, editor of the then Hard Ne- 
braska paper, the Jefferson Union, against Ives ; 
and in the 26th district the Hards put up for 
Congress, Thomas M. Howell, who had parti- 
cipated in the passage of the Nebraska resolu- 
tions in the State Convention. 

The Washington Union, having attempted 
to insinuate that the New York Evening Post 
was " not in the confidence" of the administra- 
tion, the Albany Argus, October 15, said: 

" The New York Evening Post is a supporter 
of Seymour, Ludlow, & Co. It is a supporter 
of the administration — to the full extent which 
the Preesoil leanings of its principal patrons and 
subscribers will permit. The Post of the same 
date with the Washington Union above quoted, 
contains half a column of advertisement of the 
times and places of holding the caucuses of the 
administration party in New York city — paid 
for doubtless, by the Soft Committee, with gold 
pieces direct from the Sub-Treasury vault. It 
contains six columns of corporation advertise- 
ment, inserted by order of the New York City 
Comptroller, a gentleman of the administration 
school of politics, and formerly a leading advo- 
cate of the Van Buren and Adams Presidential 
ticket. It contains one or two columns more of 
official advertisements bestowed by other party 
friends of the President. It publishes column 
after column of '• by authority"' matter — well 
paid for — from federal office-holders in New 
York. It contained the first semi-announce- 
ment — in March, 18.53 — of the fatal " policy" 
which Mr. Pierce had been advised to pursue in 
New York politics. It has approved that " pol- 
icy." It denounces the National Democracy 
with a vigor, facility of misstatement and bit- 
terness only equalled by the Union itself. It 
has successively libelled every National Demo- 
cratic statesman whom the party has delighted 
to honor — among them Jefferson, Madison, Jack- 
son, Polk, Dickinson, Buchanan, and Cass. It 
has in times past denounced William L. Marcy, 
when he was acting with the National Demo- 
cracy ; it has lampooned Pierce, ridiculed Davis, 
and laughed at Gushing : and praised them all 
again in turn, when snug in high office and dis- 
pensing honors. Slmll the Washington Union 



64 



deny to such a print its due recognition as a 
mouth-piece of its peculiar " Democracy ?" Sure- 
ly not." 

The Argus of 24th October, called on Israel 
T. Hatch, the Soft candidate for Congress in 
the 32 d district (and last fall at the head of 
Soft State ticket) to say " that he regrets his 
support of Van Buren and Adams in 1848, or 
that he now repudiates the Wilmot Proviso." 

Mr. Hatch declined any reply. 

The Hudson Republican (Whig) complained 
that the Softs were advocating the election of 
H. McClellan, their candidate for Congress in 
the 12th district, on the ground that he was 
" against the only measure (the Nebraska bill) 
of the administration he supports." 

The Buffalo Eepublic (Soft) of October 23d, 
congratulated its friends that " the Congressional 
Conventions of the (Soft) Democracy generally 
speak in unequivocal terms of disapprobation of 
the Missouri restriction." 

The Soft Convention of the 28th Congress 
district renominated George Hastings, who had 
voted against the Nebraska bill, and 

" Resolved, That the course of the Hon. Geo. 
Hastings in the present Congress meets our hear- 
ty approval, and we also believe the approval of 
the people of the district ; and we pledge him 
our united energies to secure his re-election." 

The Hard Convention of Albany county, 
met October 19th. Mr. Peckham declined to 
be a candidate for re-election. A Committee of 
which John H. Reynolds was a member, re- 
ported resolutions. The first approves the July 
Nebraska Hard platform ; the second declares 
that " though the Convention felt itself con- 
strained to express its regret that Hon. E. W. 
Peckham opposed the Kansas-Nebraska bill, 
and to disapprove of his vote in relation thereto, 
yet it fully sustains his general course in Con- 
gress," and especially his opposition to the ad- 
ministration ; the third . opposes the restoration 
of the Missouri line, the Wilmot Proviso, or 
any interference by Congress with the slavery 
question. These passed unanimously. David 
Hamilton was then nominated, and accepted the 
nomination and platform. 

The Hard Congress Convention of the 12th 
district, met October 11th, at Poughkeepsie. 
A. Committee, on which was Henky A. Collin, 
-eported resolutions, approving the Kansas-Ne- 



braska bill. William H. Wilson was nomi- 
nated for Congress. 

Charles Hughes, Soft anti- Nebraska, was re- 
nominated by his party for Congress, in the 15th 
district. His vote against the bill was thus 
approved. The Hards nominated Gen. Orvillk 
Clark on a Nebraska platform. 

The Monroe County Hard Convention, nom- 
inated Joseph Sibley for Congress, and resolved 
in favor of " the Dickinson doctrine of non- 
intervention ;" the Softs nominated John Wil- 
liams, who had presided at an anti-Nebraska 
meeting, and had been a member of the Buffalo 
Convention of 1848, and who was elected by 
the K. N. vote. 

The St. Lawrence Hard Convention endorsed 
the Nebraska platform of July 12, and declared 
opposition to religious intolerance and proscrip- 
tion. 

Edwin Dodge was a member of this Con- 
vention. The Hard Conventions of Franklin 
and Schenectady passed similar resolutions. 

The Soft Convention in the St. Lawrence dis- 
trict nominated, F. E. Spinner for Congress, and 
passed strong anti-Nebraska resolutions. Spin- 
ner was elected, and now acts in Congress with 
the " Black Republicans." 

W. R. Andrews, the Soft candidate for 
Prison Inspector, was a member of the Know 
Nothing State Convention, which nominated 
Ullman ; Fernando Wood, the Soft candidate 
for Mayor of this city, was also a Know No- 
thing. 

The Wayne, Livingston, and Otsego county 
Hard Conventions responded to the July plat- 
form of the State Convention. So of the Hard 
county Conventions of Broome, Allegany, &c. 

The Albany Argus of October 31st, (a few 
days before the election,) alleged : 

" That no Soft Convention in the State had 
dared to opprove of the Nebraska bill, or of the 
principles upon which that measure is founded. 
That every Hard Democratic Convention (State, 
Congressional, Assembly, and County) which 
has passed any resolutions at all, (and all, we 
believe, except the New Tork City Conventions, 
have done so,) has approved the bill in distinct 
terms and planted itself in the National De- 
mocratic platform." 

W. R. Andrews, the Soft condidate for State 
Prison Inspector, was a member of the Soft 
Congress Convention which re-nominated George 
Hastings, and voted for the resolution approving 
Hastings's course. 



65 

The Oueida and Eocklaud County Hard 
Conventions endorsed the Nebraska platform of 
the State Convention. 

The Delhi Gazette (Soft) denounced the 
Hard Candidate for Governor thus : 

" Bronson is a pro-slavery man — a defender 
oi" the Repeal of the Missouri Compromise." 

The Albany Argus (Hard) of November 3d, 
retorted that " Horatio Seymour dare not say, 
and has not said, in the City of Albany, where 
he lives, that he is, or has been, opposed to that 
repeal — while in the rural districts he is ad- 
vocated as its opponent, and Judge Bronson 
denounced as its defender. He [Seymour) stands 
before the public committed to no party, to no 
cause, but to the rum party and the rum 
cause." 

On the 1st November, a Hard mass meeting 
was held in the New York Tabernacle. Augustus 
ScHELL called the meeting to order, and Charles 
O' Conor presided. George F. Alden read let- 
ters from invited speakers unable to attend- 
Mr. Dickinson's speech was heartily greeted. 

The election was was held on the 7th of No- 
vember, and resulted in a Whig victory through- 
out. The Whigs elected the Governor, Legis- 
lature, and all but foiu- Congressmen. 

What is noticeable, especially, in this e lection 
is that every Hard candidate for Congress, in the 
State of New York, was a Kansas Nebraska 
man, avowedly favorable to that enactment, and 
running on that platform ; while every Soft 
candidate, except six, was an opponent of the 
measure, and four of them had voted against it 
in Congress. The following table, showing the 
relative strength of the two parties on their 
candidates for Congress, and their position on 
this question, is taken from the returns, and has 
been already published in the newspapers : 

HARDS. SOFTS. 

1 Allen 2,778 Lord 2,227 

2 Taylor 7,623 (No candidate.) 

3 Clinton, l 2,559 Miner 1,123 

4 Walsh,* I ^3,047 Kelly 3,068 

6 Hamilton, '« 2,781 Berry 1,954 

6 Mead, [>; 1,128 Murphy 2,533 

7 (No candi.) I ;z;' Kennedy. .. .5,094 

8 Curtis, J 2,969 Fellows 1,699 

9 Br andreth. ..2,540 (No candidate.) 
Whiting 2,038 

Bailey 367 

10 Woodward .... 4,574 Strattan 2,053 

11 Strong 5,042 (No candidate.) 



12 Wilson 2,486 

13 Cook 1,971 

14 Hamilton... .2,255 

15 Clark 6,358 

16 Flanders 1,025 

17 Benton 3,414 

18 Jackson 8,954 

19 Sturges 1,066 

20 Moore 588 

21 Tompkins 5,589 

22 Lewis 3,281 

23 Brown 1,513 

24 Parker 487 

25 Aldrich 1,296 

26 Howell 2,163 

27 Gushing 1,064 

28 GiBBs,(declin'd)i 119 

29 Sibley 1,865 

30 Belden 2,483 

31 Baker .1,231 

32 (Candidate declined) 

33 Lester (dec'd.)1241 



JfcCWZaw... 5,540 

Clum 2,075 

Pruyn 3,244 

Hughes \ 2,428 

Thomas 1,752 

Spinner 7,618 

(No candidate.) 

^ Palmer 6,444 

(Hawes 1,339 

Johnson 5,172 

Crocker 2,077 

Babcock 4,728 

Ives 5,644 

Alvord .4,109 

Middleton 6,910 

Oliver] 6,880 

MsDowell 5,467 

Hastings] . . . .4,450 

Williams 5,609 

Laning 3,829 

Chase 962 

Hateh 5,388 

Fenton] 26,44 



Total -87,713 115,859 

Nebraska men in small oap.s ; Anti-Ne- 
braska men in Italics. 

*Voted for the Nebraska bill in 1854. 
t Voted against the Nebraska bill in 1854. 

The Utica Observer, (Soft,) Governor Sey- 
mour's home organ, after the election, boasted 
that no man favorable to the Kansas-Nebraska 
bill had been elected to Congress from the State 
of New York. The Albany Argus, (Hard,) of 
of the 3d November, denied this, and claimed 
that Taylor in the 2d, and Walsh in the 4th 
districts, had good grounds for contesting the 
seats of Stranahan and Kelly, and also asserted 
that it was informed that Edwards of the 33d 
district was opposed to the restoration of the 
Missouri prohibition. 

The Ontario Messenger (Soft) attributed 
Seymour's defeat to the non-committal platform 
of the State Convention which put him in no- 
mination. It said : 

" We can tell the Convention managers, and 
resolution makers, that thousands of (Soft) Dem- 
ocrats have now voted for the last time for 
candidates put on such a platform as that which 
they fabricated from our State ticket." 

The St. Lawrence Republican, (Soft,) said : 

" This result will place New York in com- 
pany with every other free State this side of the 
Rocky Mountains, rendering her verdict against 
the infamous Nebraska bill." 



QQ 



p. E. Spinner, Soft member of Uono;ress elect 
for the 17th Congressional district, wrote, on the 
1st November, a letter in wliicli lie advocated, 
at length, the interference of Congress to pro- 
hibit slavery in the territories. 

The Buffalo Republic. (Soft,) said : 

" If a gang of office holders, claiming the 
right U) speak ' by authority,' attempt to mis- 



represent the Democratic sentiment of the State, 
as they did in the last Convention, for the pur- 
pose of pleasing their employers at Washington, 
they will find tlie next election far more unsatis- 
factory than the last." 

The Batavia Democrat, (Soft,) home organ of 
U. S. Collector Redfield, favored the re-election 
of Sewaixl to the U. S. Senate. 

The Jamestown Democrat, (Soft,) advocated 
a fusion of the Barnburner and Seward ]iartie;; 



C H A P T p] R X . 

From Janitaky, 1855 — to Aprh., 185G. 

The Hard State Committee's Resolutions. The Hard State Convention, its Platform and 

CJandidates. The Hard Delegates to Cincinnati. The Soft State Convention. The 

^Vilmot Proviso "Corner Stone" Re-adopted. Result of the Election. Organization of 

the Legislature. Soft Meetings and Resolutions. Soft State Convention, to choose 

Contesting Delegates. Bolt of the Softs. The Spirit of the Hards. 



On the fii-st of January, 1855, the control- 
ing interest owned by Sherman Croswell and 
Gideon J. Tucker in the Albany Argus, so long 
the leading organ of the Hards, was sold by 
them to Calvert Comstock, a Soft, althou'gh 
mainly holding to National jirinciples. The 
sale of this paper was a matter of pecuniary ne- 
cessity, but it proved a serious detriment to the 
Hards, and involved the change of several sate- 
lite papers, such as the Buffalo Courier and 
Hudson Gazette, which went in the same direc- 
tion. The difficulty of keeping up an " insubor- 
dinate" pi'ess, in the teeth of proscription and 
deprivation of patronage, on the one hand, and 
the proffer of government ad\(H'tising, &c., on 
the other, began to be realized. 

Mr. Littlejohn, of Oswego, Know Notliing 
and Seward Whig, was elected Speaker of the 
Assembly. He, soon after his election, threw 
off" his Know Nothingism, denounced and repu- 
diated it. 

The entire Seward press of the State, also 
then opened a war upon it. The House was 
heavily Sewardite ; the Senate, although close, 
in the same direction, Mr. Seward was re-elected 
to the U. S. Senate for six years, in February ; 
the Hards M')ting for Mr. Dickinson, and the 
Softs scattering their votes for John A. Dix 
and others. 



In February, ]\Ir. Tucker, who had left the 
Argus, came to New York, and took chai"ge of 
the National Democi'at, the daily issue of which 
changed its name to that of the Daily News. It 
soon attained a circulation unprecedented in the 
history of Democratic papers. 

The Maine law passed the legislature during 
this session, and was promptly signed by the 
Governor. Every branch of the goverimient 
was Seward VJlug — the Governor, Legislature, 
Canal lioard, and De2:tartnieuts. 

On the 25th January, the Hard State Com- 
mittee held its usual January meeting at Albany, 
and adopted the following resolutions : 

" Revived, That in the result of the recent 
election in this State, influenced, as it was, by 
new and extraneous issues, liaving no legitimate 
bearing upon the position and principles of the 
National Democracy, we find no cause of dis- 
couragement, for while these new elements ne- 
cessarily diminished the vote of our excellent 
State ticket, the votes given to our candidates 
for Congress, despite all the embarrassments of 
that campaign, furnish gratil'ying evidence that 
the National Democratic sentiment and organi- 
zation of New York are by no means impaired. 
The only fact clearly established by the recent 
election in tiie State, is that the National ad- 
ministration has entirely forfeited the confidence 
of all parties. That, as National Democrats, 
we I'eel confident that our real strength is midi- 
miuished, and that when the j)roper time and oc- 



67 



casion arrive, our principles aud orgauization 
will be fully sustained. 

" Resolved, That, in the view of the emphatic 
manner in which those who have souj^ht to 
' crush out' their ])rinciples and their party in 
this State and at AVashington, have Ijceii them- 
selves rebuked and defeated, the National Demo- 
cracy of New York will continue iu-mly to 
maintain their principles and position ; the rub- 
bish having been cleared away, the Old Guard 
is prepared in the future, as in the past, to do 
ample justice to itself, to its principles, its ene- 
mies, and its friends, and with this end in view 
will firnjly and fearlessly maintain its organiza- 
tion, relying on its ultimate triumph. 

" Resolved, That we with pleasure avail our- 
selves of this opportunity to reiterate our un- 
bounded confidence in the political integrity of 
the Uon. Daniel S. Dickinson, and refer with un- 
feigned satisfaction to his unvarying consist- 
ency, recognizing in him a true and faitliful ])a- 
triot, of whom the Democracy of the Empire 
iStatc may indeed be proud." 

The Soft " National" editor of the Argus, 
commented thus upon the last of the above 
resolutions. 

" It was quite appropriate that the CJommit- 
tee should have seized the occasion to expjTss 
their confidence in the political integrity of ex- 
8e«iator Dickinson, who, with such ability and 
consistency, maintained sound National jn'in- 
ciples during his honorable career in the IJ. S. 
Senate." 

The Hard State C-onvcntion was called at 
Syracuse on the 23d of August. The Conven- 
tion was full and the delegates were of a more 
prominent and influential class than usual. It 
was called to order by the Secretary of the 
State Committee, and, on his motion, Augustus 
SoiiELL presided over the temporary organiza- 
tion. On taking his seat Mr. Sen ell addressed 
the members of the Convention, assuming that 
" they will present to the country the great 
issue of Nationalism or Sewardism — union or 
disunion — and be prepared to meet it." He 
added that the party " is now, as ever, opposed 
to the passage of sumptuary laws, and to legis- 
lation which subjects the houses and places of 
business of our citizens to arbitrary visitation. 
It is opposed to all legislation which violates 
the hospitalities guaranteed by the Constitu- 
tion and laws to adopted citizens, or which pro- 
scribes them for their place of birth or religious 
faith." These remarks were received with 
loud hurrahs aud protracted vociferations of 
applause. 



Henry W. Rookrs was the President of the 
Convention. On taking the chair he addressed 
to the Convention a few remarks, in the course 
of which lie said: "Let us, while we invite all 
who agree with us in sentiment, who are with 
us, and of us, and like us, to stand by our cause 
and fight under \\& banner — let us reject with 
scorn every dishonorable proposition to coalesce 
with any faction or party for the purpose of 
political plunder. Ix^t our motto l)e, union 
upon principle, no coalition for spoils."' These 
remarks were received with enthusiastic cheering. 

Committees on resolutions and address were 
appointed. Elijah Ward, from the Committee 
on the former, reported the resolutions, which 
were unanimously adoi)t«d, as follows : 

" Resolved, That the National Democratic 
party of New York, hereby re-assert their ad- 
herence and devotion to the principles of the 
National Donocracy, and of tlie Constitution ; 
that they adhere t(.», and sustain in theory and 
practice, the resolutions of the Democratic 
National Conventions of 1848 and I8ri2, as con- 
taining the cardinal principles of the 1 )emocratic 
party of the Union. They re-adopt them with 
hearty good will, believing that time and exper- 
ience have demonstrated their purity and sound- 
ness, and the necessity for a strict adherence 
thereto. 

" Resolved, That the lessons of the fathers of 
Democracy teach frugality aud t^conomy in the 
administration of jjublic affairs, and that we ad- 
here to them as enduring articles of Democratic 
faith. 

" Resolved, That we insist, as an article of our 
creed, upon the well estalilished doctrhie of 
State rights, of a strict construction of the Con- 
stitution, and the jtrinciple of non-intervention 
upon all domestic State questions — and that 
the peace and ijuiet of the country demand that 
it should be left to the people of the territories, 
as it pertains to the people of the States, to de- 
termine for themselves all local questions, includ- 
ing the suljject of sliivery, to the end that a 
subject so disturbing in its nature and influence, 
may be wholly ex(;luded from the action of the 
government of the Uuiou ; and that, in further- 
ance of these principles, we give our unqualilied 
adherence to the Nebraska bill, aud oj^jjosc any 
effort tore-establish the Missouri prohibition. 

" Resolved, That the National Democracy is 
opposed to all secret i)olitical societies, and that 
the first principles of a free government demand 
open and unrestrided discussion in all matters 
of pulilic concern ; that the guarantees of free- 
dom of religious faith and worship, contained in 
our State and Federal Constitutions, lie at the 
foundation of our national liberties and pros- 
perity ; that any attempt to abridge the privi- 
leges now granted to aliens of becoming citizens 
and owoers of the soil amongst us, or to idicct the 



68 



rights of adopted citizens to a full and equal 
participation in governmental affairs as defined 
by the Constitution, ought to be resisted as an- 
tagonistical to the genius of RepYiblican insti- 
tutions — and that wc, as Democrats, recognize 
as evidence of fidelity or merit, no distinction of 
birth or religious creed, believing it is the mis- 
sion of Democracy to proclaim and maintain 
the great doctrines of civil and religious liberty, 
and to uphold and enforce the Constitution in its 
sublime principles of justice and equality. 

" Resolved, That we regard the Prohibitory 
Liquor act, passed liy the Legislature of this 
State at its last session, as not only a violation 
of the (Jonstitution, but also as subversive of 
personal liberty and the rights of private pro- 
perty ; and that its repeal, in our opinion, is im- 
peratively demanded. 

" Resolved, That all who agree in principle 
upon the leading questions , of the day, should 
act together, regardless of minor considerations — 
that we cordially invite all who agree with us in 
the doctrines here enunciated, regardless of for- 
mer associations, to unite with us in engrafting 
them upon the policy of the country ; but it is 
upon principle alone that we invite a union. 
We denounce all coalitions of those holding hos- 
tile sentiments as unprincipled and demoralizing." 

Col. Sam Fowlee reported the address, which 
was adopted. 

Mr. D. E. Sickles, of New York, (lately return- 
ed from England, where he had filled by President 
Pierce's appointment, the post of Secretary of 
the U. S. Ijcgation,) moved to offer to the Softs 
to divide the State ticket with them. The mo- 
tion wiis negatived, 10 ayes to 94 nays. 

Mr. Haskin, of New York, moved a resolution 
denouncing the administration. It was tabled 
on the motion of S. IL Parker, of Geneva, (editor 
of the Gazette,) who, although one of the first 
editors in the State to advocate the Kansas-Ne- 
braska bill, in 1854, had been removed from the 
office of Postmaster at Geneva, in the summer 
of that year, at the demand of Freesoilers, for 
the crime of advocating Judge Bronson's 
election. 

A State Committee was appointed ; and 
the Convention proceeded to appoint delegates 
to the Cincinnati Convention. The delegates 
from each Congressional district met together 
and named two delegates to Cmcinnati, and two 
alternates, except in the 7th district, where, Mr. 
G. G. Sickles declining to act with his colleague, 
(Gen. E. Ward,) the Convention named them ; 
these names were put to the Convention and 
approved. The four delegates and four alter- 
nates at large were chosen by vote of the entire 



Convention. Tlie vote of the National Demo 
cratic party of New York, was then ordered, 
by resolution, to be cast in the National Con- 
vention, by the delegates thus appointed, as a 
unit and in accordance with the preference of a 
majority of the delegates. 

The following is a list of the delegates and 
alternates as they were appointed : 

DELEGATES AT LARGE. 

GREENE C. BRONSON, of New York. 
CHARLES O'CONOR, of New York. 
SAMUEL BBARDSLEY, of Oneida. 
GEORGE W. CLINTON, of Erie. 

ALTERNATES AT LARGE. 

AUGUSTUS SCHELL, of New York. 
AARON WARD, of Westchester. 
JOSEPH SIBLP]Y, of Monroe. 
HARMON S. CUTTING, of Erie. 

DISTRICT DELEGATES. 

DisT. 1. — Le Grand Capers, of Queens, 
John Vanderbilt, of Kings. 

DisT. 2. — Henry C. Murphy, of Kmgs, 

James H. Hutchins, of Kings. 
DisT. 3. — Joseph Blackburn, of New York, 

Gideon J. Tucker, of New York. 
DisT. 4. — Henry J. Allen, of New York, 

Joseph M. Marsh, of New York. 
DiST. 5.^ — Robert W. Allen, of Williamsburgh. 

George F. Alden, of New York. 
DisT. 6.— William N. McIntire, of New York- 

Anthony Dugro, of New York. 
DisT. 7. — Elijah Ward, of New York, 

Peter B. Sweeny, of New York. 
DisT. 8. — William A. Turnure, of New York. 

Daniel B. Taylor, of New York. 
DisT. 9. — Samuel F. Butterworth, of West- 
chester, 

Abraham P. Stephens, of Rockland. 

DisT. 10. — Sam Fowler, of Orange, 

Archibald C. Niven, of Sullivan. 
DisT. 11. — William F. Russell, of Ulster, 

William E. Leete, of Greene. 
DisT. 12. — Henry Staats, of Dutchess, 

William H. Wilson, of Oohunbia. 
DisT. 13. — Job Pierson, of Rensselaer, 

David L. Seymour, of Rensselaer. 



69 



DiST. 14. — David Hamilton, of Albany, 

John H. Reynolds, of Albany. 
DisT, 15 — Orville Clark, of Washington, 

J. W. Thompson, of Saratoga. 
DiST. 16. — Winslow C. "Watson, of Essex, 

Wai.ter H. Payne, of Franklin. 
DisT. 17. — Charles Gray, of Herkimer, 

Edwin Dodge, of St Lawrence. 
DiST. 18. — TnoaMAs B. Mitchell, of Schenec- 
tady, 

Michael Thompson, of Fulton. 
DisT. 19. — Greene Moore, of Delaware, 

Samuel S. Bowne, of Otsego. 
DisT. 20. — David Wager, of Oneida, 

Naaman W. Moore, of Oneida. 

DisT. 21. — Samuel G. Hathaway, of Cortland, 

Elisha B. Smith, of Chenango. 
DisT. 22. — Samuel French, of Madison, 

Delos De Wolf, of Oswego. 
DisT. 23. — Lysander H. Brown, of Jefferson, 

William Carlisle, of Jefferson. 
DisT. 24. — Sanford C. Parker, of Onondaga, 

Moses D. Burnett, of Onondaga. 
DisT. 25. — Chari-es W. Pomeroy, of Caynga. 

James P. Bartle, of Wayne, 
Dist. 26.— Thomas M. Howell, of Ontario, 

Delazon J SuNDERLiN, of Yates. 
Dist. 27. — Stephen Strong, of Tioga, 

Nathan P. Willllms, Tompkins. 
Dist. 28. — John A. Vanderlip, of Livingston, 

Francis E. Erwin, of Steuben. 
Dist. 29. — Nicholas E. Paine, of Monroe, 

E. Darwin Smith, of Monroe. 
Dist. 30. — Calvin T. Chamberlain, of Alle- 
gany, 

Junius A. Smith, of Genesee. 

Dist. 31. — Andrew Robinson, of Niagara, 
Harvey Goodrich, of Orleans. 

Dist. 32. — William Williams, of Erie, 
Henry W. Rogers, of Erie. 

Dist. 33. — Benjamin Walworth, of Chautau- 
que. 
Daniel Judd, of Cattaraugus. 

DISTRICT ALTERNATES. 
Dist. 1. — Grosvenor S. Adams, of Suffolk, 

Nathan Barrett, of Richmond. 
Dist 2. — George Taylor, of Kings, 

John Rice, of Kings. 



Dist. 3. — Stephen HASBRorcK, of New York, 
John Y. Savage, of New York. 

Dist. 4. — Thomas Wheelan, of New York, 

John Clancy, of New York. 
Dist. 5. — Charles M. Smith, of New York, 

Asahel S. Levy, of New York. 
Dist. 6. — Andrew Mills, of New York, 
Edwin Bouton, of New York. 
Dist. 7. — Gustavus A. Conover, of New York, 

Samuel Radcliff, of New York. 
Dist. 8. — John O'Toole, of New York, 

Weare D. Parsons, of New York. 
Dist. 9. — Joseph T. Carpenter, of Westchester, 

John J. Smalley, of Putnam. 
Dist. 10. — E. Carter, of Orange, 

R. D. Childs, of Sullivan. 
Dist. 11. — George Verplanck, of Ulster, 

Mathew Yeomans, of Greene. 
Dist. 12. — George P. Pelton, of Dutchess, 

Henry A. Collin, of Columbia. 
Dist. 13.— B. B. Kirkland, of Rensselaer, 

S. Reynolds, Jr., of Rensselaer. 
Dist. 14. — Stephen C. Wandell, of Albany, 

John S. Nafew, of Albany. 
Dist. 15. — George Young, Jr., of Saratoga, 

Abraham Wing, of Warren. 
Dist. 16.— D. B. McNiel, of Clinton, 

Putnam B. Fisk, of Franklin. 
Dist. 1 7. — Nathaniel S. Benton, of Herkimer, 

J. C. Spencer, of St. Lawrence. 
Dist. 18.— Simeon Snow, of Montgomery, 

Freeman Stanton, of Schoharie. 
DisT. 1 9. — Orrin W. Smith, of Delaware, 

L. J. BuBDiTT, of Otsego. 
Dist. 20. — David Moulton, of Oneida, 

E. J. Stebbins, of Oneida. 
Dist. 21. — Ausburn Birdsall, of Broome, 

William G. Sands, of Chenango. 
Dist. 22. — P. B. Havens, of Madison, 

Joseph Torrey, of Oswego. 
Dist. 23. — E. West, of Jefferson, 

Erastus Hale, of Jefferson. 

Dist. 24. — John J. Peck, of Onondaga, 

John A. Green, Jr., of Onondaga. 

Dist. 25. — J. McIntosh, of Cayuga, 

William H, Cutler, of Wayne. 

Dist. 26. — George M. Horton, of Ontario, 
William Clabk, of Seneca. 



70 



DiST. 27. — Erastus Evans, of Tioga, 

Daniel Jackson, of Tompkins. 
DiST. 28.— Andkew J. McCall, of Steuben, 

William C. Hawley, of Livingston. 
DiST. 29. — J. B. Crosby, of Monroe, 

J. C. Patterson, of Monroe. 
DisT. 30. — William Bingham, of Wyoming, 

James G. Shepherd, of Genesee. 
DisT. 31. — J. T. Murray, of Niagara, 

Horatio N. Hewes, of Orleans. 
DisT. 32.— J. G. Mather, of Erie, 

Joseph Foster, of Erie. 
Dist. 33. — H. P. Wilcox, of Chautaiique, 

Thomas J. Parker, of Cattaraugus. 

The Convention then proceeded to nominate 
a State ticket, as follows : for Secretary of 
State, Aaron Ward ; for Comptroller, Thos. 
B. Mitchell ; for Treasurer, Joseph ]\I. Lyon ; 
for Attorney General, Josiah Sutherland ; for 
State Engineer, George Cole ; for Canal Com- 
missioner, Frederick Follett ; for State Prison 
Inspector, Darius Clark ; for A]ii)eal Judges, 
Samuel L. Selden and John Willard. Mr. 
Cole subsequently declining the nomination, John 
D. Fay was substituted on the ticket for State 
Engineer by the State Committee. 

A resolution expressing the thanks of the 
Democracy of the State to Augustus Schell, 
Chairman of the State Committee, for the ser- 
vices rendered by him to the party, and declaring 
that in retiring from that position, he carried 
with him the good wishes of the Democracy, 
was passed ; and the Convention, after the 
usual compliments to its officers, adjourned. 

Among the members of this State Convention 
not before named, were Samuel G. Courtney, of 
Albany ; Thomas A. Osborne, of Chautauque ; 
Daniel D. Akin, of Dutchess ; Tcunis G. Ber- 
gen, C. Hooper, and D. C. Aiken, of Kings ; L. 
H. Hovey, of Monroe ; N. T. Rossiter, of Scho- 
harie ; H. M. Hyde, of Steuben, &c. 

The Soft Convention met at Syracuse on the 
29th August. Robert Kclhj presided. Much 
trouble ensued in the adoption of their platform. 
On one side it was urged, that without the 
passage of resolutions of a Freesoil character, 
the vote of the party, now that the Maine law 
excitement was over, would inevitably fall be- 
low that (if the Hards. On the other side, the 
Convention was reminded, that without the 
adoption of a National platform, the Softs 



would not be able to contest the Hards at the 
Cincinnati Convention. Sanford E. Church, 
John ^''an Burc^n, Josiah 31. Todd, James W. 
Nye, (j. lliuclcley, of Ontario ; Timothy Jen- 
kins, and Ward Hunt, of Oneida, and others, 
urged the importance of taking a Freesoil atti- 
tude. The mass of the Convention agreed with 
them, and the Oi)positiou of Lorenzo B. Shep- 
ard, John Kcllij, and other Softs who had for- 
merly been Hunkers, was overborne. John. 
Kellij distinctly threatened to leave the Conven- 
tion if the Freesoil resolutions were passed. In 
the end, the matter took the shape of a com- 
promise. It was arranged that a resolution of- 
fered l>y John Van Buren, in the following 
words, (and which, it will be seen, was identical 
,with the Wilmot Proviso of David Dudley 
Field, tabled by the Hunker majority in the 
State Convention of 1847,) should be adopted — 
as it was : 

Resolved, That while the Democracy of this 
State will faithfully adhere to all the com- 
])romises of the Constitution, and maintain all 
the reserved riglits of the States, they deem 
this an appropriate occasion to delare their fixed 
hostility to the extension of .slavery into free 
territory. 

And that, on the other hand, the appoint- 
ment of the Soft delegates to contest the seats of 
the Hards at Cincinnati should not be undertaken 
by this Convention, but jjostponed to another 
opportunity, when a more " National" platform 
might be adopted, without exposing the amount 
of Freesoilism in the party ; for to go into an 
election upon any other than a Freesoil plat- 
form would be ecjually tiital with the attempt to 
go to Cincinnati without a pretence, at least, of 
" Nationality." 

In addition to the above, the Convention re- 
solved as follows : 

" Resolved, That we regard the organization 
of bands of armed borderers, and their intrusion 
into the Territory of Kansas, not as bona fide 
settlers, but for the forcible subversion of the 
rights of its legal electors, not only as a violation 
of the peace of the Union and the rights of the 
community assailed, but as distinctly subversive 
of the intent of Congress as declared in the liill 
organizing the said territories, to leave the 
people perfectly free to form and regulate their 
own domestic institutions in their own way, 
subject only to the Constitution of the United 
States ; and that all the power of the Federal and 
Territorial governments should, be exerted to re- 
dress these outrages, and vindicate the rights of 
the people thereof" 



n 



The following ticket was nominated : for 
Secretary of State, Israel T. Hatch ; for Comp- 
troller, Lemuel Stetson ; for Attorney General, 
Samuel J. Tildcu ; for Treasurer, Ariel S. 
Thurston ; for Canal Commissioner, Curtiss 
Hawley ; for Prison Inspector, Patrick 11. 
Agan, and for State Engineer, John B. Jervis ; 
for the Court of Appeals, Judge Selden and 
John A. Lott. 

Among the prominent members of the Con- 
vention who thus re-ado]5tcd the " Corner 
Stone" were John Kelly and Robert Kelly, of 
New York, (the former of whom did not carry 
out his threat of leaving the Convention;) 
Israel T. Hatch, \Josiali 31. Todd, Sidney T. 
Fairchild, Albert P. Laning, John and Smith 
Van Buren, Ward ITunt, Eli Cook, Arphaxad 
Loomis ; Daniel F. Jones, of Onondaga ; Win. 
C. Dryer, Thomas B. Alvord, Peter Cagger, &c. 

Judge Lott wrote a prompt refusal' to run on 
the Soft ticket, being himself a Hard National 
Democrat, and au opponent to Freesoilism in 
every shape. Nicholas Hill, Jr., was substi- 
tuted on the ticket, and accepted. 

Several attempts were made to get up a 
Liquor Dealers' State ticket, andiia Convention 
assembled for that purpose at Syi-acuse, which 
selected candidates from both the Hard and 
Soft tickets, with au eye to the " union of the 
]nirty" against the Republican and Maine Law 
candidates. Immediately upon this, however, 
the Soft papers, headed by the Argais, repu- 
diated the " union" proceedings, so that the 
voters of that party refused to accept the 
" iniiou ticket." Those who voted it were 
mostly Hards, as the election returns proved. 

Shortly before the election, Josiah Sutherland, 
1 lie Hard candidate for Attorney General, made 
the following proffer of withdrawal to his Sol't 
antagonist : 

" New York Citv, ) 

"Friday, Oct. 12, 1855. \ 

" Samuel J. Tilden, Esq.— il% Dear Sir : J t 
is not right that the great question of the C!on- 
stitution and of the Union should Ije merged in 
the mere liquor question. It sliali not be my 
fault if the Democrats of the State of jSew 
York who are united in principle, slioidd not 
have an opportunity at the conung election to 
show their conservative strength upon more 
than one candidate. 

" I was nominated for the office of Attorney 
(ieneral of this State, by that portion of the 
Democratic party of tlie State called the Hards ; 



you were subsequently nominated for the same 
office by that portion or section of the Demo- 
cratic party of the State called the Softs. I 
look upon the resolutions j^assed and published 
by the convention which put me in nomination, 
(a copy of which I herewith inclose,) as truly, 
emphatically, and unequivocally expressing great 
principles of the National Democracy and of the 
Constitution. The third resolution, as you will 
observe, firmly enunciates the great Democratic 
principle, ■' That it should be left to the people 
of the States to determine for themselves all 
local questions, including the subject of slavery;" 
it expresses, also, " an unqualified adlierence to 
the Kansas-Nebraska bill," and a firm opposi- 
tion to " any effort to re-establish the Missouri 
prohibition." 

" I approve of these resolutions, and have in 
dorsed them, and do now indoi-se them, in letter 
and spirit. 

" Do you look upon these resolutions as truly 
and faithfully expressing principles of the Na- 
tional Democracy and of the Constitution ? 

"Are you in favor of the Kansas-Nebraska 
bill, and of the great principle of the exclusive 
constitutional right and liberty of the people of 
the territories on the subject of slavery, thereby 
affirmed ? 

" Do you believe that in the organization of 
future territories Congress will have no right or 
power, under the Constitution as it now is, to 
prevent the inception, existence, or continuance 
of slavery in sucii territories as a domestic or 
territorial institution ; that the question and 
subject of slavery, as a domestic or territorial 
institution, in the absence of any express provi- 
sion or clause of the Constitution giving such 
right and power to Congress, will and must of 
necessity belong exclusively to the people of 
such territories — of natural, if not of constitu- 
tional right ; and that the only constitutional 
and legitimate way in which a citizen of Mas- 
sachusetts or of New York can interfere with 
or act upon that question, is l)y exercising his 
undoubted right to move to the territory where 
the question is pending, and to l)ecome a citizen 
or resident thereof? 

"Are you opposed to th(> pollti(;aI, verbal, 
" Black Republican" fanatics and demagogues 
of the north, who, using words lor things, op- 
pose this great princijjje, and call for a restora- 
tion of the ' Missouri (Compromise line ?' 

"Are you ojiposed to the State ticket lately 
put in nomination in this State, headed by 
Preston King, and to the declared principles 
and grounds upon which that ticket was 
nominated ? 

" The o])inions, propositions, or princii)k'S, 
which would be implied in the affirinativf 
answers to the foregoing questions appear tr> 
me to be plainly expressed, or necessarily hn- 
plied in the resolutions of the Convention which 
put me in nomination, and of which you here- 
with receive a copy. 

" Please answer these questions by letter at the 
earliest possible day ; for if you answer thera 



72 



in the afl&rmative, I shall take great pleasure iu 
immediately laying your letter before the State 
Committee of the party -which put me iu nomi- 
nation, and shall at the same time inform that 
Committee that I declme any longer to be con- 
sidered a candidate. 

" I will not stand in the way of a union of 
the Democratic party of this State upon prin- 
ciple. The Constitution and the Union uow 
need the united force of the Democratic party 
of this State for their protection. 

" With the most sincere desire to promote 
such a union of that party, and with high regard 
for yourself personally, 1 have the honor to be 
your obedient servant, 

"JosiAH Sutherland." 

To which Mr. Tilden returned this reply : 

" New York, Thursday, Oct. 18, 1855. 

" Deae Sir : I have received your letter, of- 
fering, on certain conditions, to send your de- 
clension to the State Conmiittee of the party by 
which you were nominated, with my letter of 
compliance, and to open to me the opportunity 
of running before that Committee for their nomi- 
nation in the vacancy. 

" I think that, on reflection, you will see that 
it is impossible for me to entertain any negotia- 
tion, or discuss any conditions, for a fusion of a 
part of the two State tickets, as proposed by 
you — or of the entire ticket, as proposed in 
other quarters. Still less can I initiate such an 
arrangement for my individual advantage, irre- 
spective of the other gentlemen nominated on the 
ticket with me, and which, even if not intended 
for that purpose, may result in a call on some of 
them to reciprocate your withdrawal. Discus- 
sions as to the feasibility, propriety, or terms of 
any union of the two tickets belong not to me, 
but to the party which nominated me, or its au- 
thorized representatives. The only countenance 
I could, iu any event, give to the suggestion 
would be in retiring myself, and not in being 
made instrumental in, or even a pai-ty to, 
causing others to do so. Those who have done 
me the honor to make me their candidate know 
that no delicacy toward me need restrain them 
from any thing of this nature which they think it 
advisable to do. 

" Very respectfully, your obedient serv't, 
" S. J. Tilden. 

" Hon. J. Sutherland." 

John Van Bureu having boasted in a speech, 
that of the candidates on the Soft State ticket, 
all but one (Hawley) had been supporters of the 
Buffalo platform in 1848, and were " proud of 
it then, and still prouder of it uow," this in- 
discretion compelled the Washington Union to 
pretend to disapprove the course of the Softs, 
and to repudiate their claims to represent the 
administration. That this repudiation waa only 



for the sake of appearances at the south, how- 
ever, certain correspondence which took place 
between Col. North, special Post Office Agent, 
and a Hard Portmaster at Cayuga, who was 
removed from office for refusing to support the 
Hatch ticket, conclusively shows. This corres- 
pondence was published m the papers of the 
day, and proves that the administration was 
actively sustaining the Hatch ticket, and that 
all Federal employees were expected to vote it. 
The gist of it is contained in the following : 

" To John Barritt, Jr., Postmaster at Cayuga, 

* * * " Now, Sir, I have to recommend 
that your action ' should be such, politically, as 
to effectually silence and contradict such impu- 
tations, and that you take an open and active 
stand iu favor of the ticket nominated at Syra- 
case, headed by Israel T. Hatch for Secretary 
of State. * * * 

" Samuel North, 
" Special Agt. P. 0. Dep't." 

At a Tammany meeting, John Cochrane, John 
Kelly, and Martin Grover spoke, and the Hatch 
ticket was ratified without any dissent from the 
platform. 

At the elec#on, the Know Nothings were 
completely victorious. The Soft candidate for 
Secretary Of State, with all the aid of his Free- 
soil platform, and from the Federal officials, 
throughout the State, polled 90,000 votes, while 
the Hard candidate for that office polled 60,000. 
Showing a loss to the Softs of 50,000 votes, and 
a gain to the Hards of 27,000 in one year ! In 
New York city, where Judge Bronson, in 1854, 
in the midst of the anti-Nebraska excitement, 
had polled only 5,000 votes, when running on a 
Nebraska platform, the Hard Democracy had 
so far recovered their strength, as to cast 16,000 
votes for Aaron Ward, in 1855. 

The Softs and Black Republicans united on 
Azariah C. Flagg, as candidate for City Comp- 
troller in New York, at this election. The 
Softs also re-nominated, and, with the aid of the 
Know Nothings, succeeded in re-electing to the 
Senate, Mark Spencer, a A^an Burenite in 1848, 
and who had voted for the anti-Nebraska resolu- 
tions passed by the Legislature in 1854. At this 
election, Daniel E. Sickles passed over from the 
Hards to the Softs side, and was chosen by the 
combined Soft and Know Nothing vote to the 
Senate from the third Senatorial district. This 
defection derived its importance solely from the 



73 



fact that Mr. Sickles had initiated the first steps 
of the separate Hard organization in the city, 
in the winter of 1852-3, before he had been so 
fortunate as to receive executive patronage, 

The Hards failed to elect any Senator at this 
election. The Softs chose Sickles and Spencer 
by Know Nothing assistance ; Edward N. 
Madden and F. P. Bellinger, by fusion with 
the Black " Republicans," and James Wads- 
worth, (the ex-Mayor of Buffalo, who pledged 
himself in 1851 against the Fugitive Slave law,) 
and William Kelly, of Dutchess, (also a Free- 
soiler,) on their own merits. 

Mr. Wadsworth, after his nomination, wrote 
the following letter : 

Buffalo, Friday, Oct. 12, 1855. 

W.At. DoRSHEiMER, EsQ. — My Bear Sir : In 
answer to your personal inquiries respecting my 
views on the subjects likely to be agitated in the 
present political canvass, I will only say that I 
earnestly and consistently advocated united ac- 
tion on the part of the Democratic and " Ee- 
publican" Conventions of the city and county, on 
those points in which we were known to agree, 
including a united city and county ticket. In 
that my friends and myself have failed, but nei- 
ther they nor myself have accepted nominations 
with any conditions attached, which should pre- 
vent me from giving my cordial support to those 
measures, embracing the subjects of " Know No- 
thingism" and slavery, wherein our sentiments 
are alike. 

My own convictions are not changed, nor will 
my independence of speech in public or private 
be abridged by the action of Conventions. 

The frowning attitude of slavery must be re- 
buked, and the united action of all good men of 
all political parties will be necessary to render 
that rebuke effectual. 

James Wadsworth. 

In the Assembly, the Hards and Softs were 
about equal in numbers. 

The Hard Assembly Caucus met and nomi- 
nated Benjamin Bailey, of Putnam, for Speaker, 
and John S. Nafew for Clerk. The Soft Cau- 
cus nominated Timothy Hoyle, of Clinton, for 
Speaker, and William W. Dean for Clerk. The 
vote on the first ballot stood — Odell, (K. N.,) 
41; Prendergast, ("Republican,") 35; Bailey. 
(Hard Democrat,) 27 ; Hoyle, (Soft and Freesoil,) 
7. After a fortnight spent without electing, Mr. 
Bailey withdrew, as also did Mr. Prendergast, 
and Orville Robinson, Democrat, supported as an 
ant-i-Know Nothing candidate, was elected. Im- 
mediately on the declaration of the result, Mr. 
Hoyle moved that Richard U. Sherman, Black 
" Republican," and a well known warm and devot- 
10 



ed friend of Mr. Seward, be declared Clerk. The 
Hards and Know Nothings united in defeat- 
ing this nomination ; but the next day General 
Sherman was elected by the plurality rule, re- 
ceiving the entire Soft vote, with three excep- 
tions, and also the entire Black " Republican 
vote. 

Neither the Hard or Soft caucuses held at 
the opening of the session, passed resolutions 
but three Softs, two of them from New York, 
entered the Hard caucus and offered to unite, 
with the latter, on condition of the latter pass- 
ing the resolutions which had been adopted Ijy 
the Democratic Congressional Caucus in De- 
cember, on nominating Mr. Richardson. The 
Hard Caucus, not desiring either the dictation 
or the company of these gentlemen, paid no at- 
tention to the offer, but proceeded with its lousi- 
ness. 

As to the refusal to entertain these resolu- 
tions, the reason was given that while they were 
appropriate enough in a Democratic Congres- 
sional Caucus, where every member was known 
and committed in favor of the Nebraska bill, 
yet they did not go far enough in committal to 
the principle of non-intervention, to form a basis 
of union in this State, since they did no more 
than congratulate the country upon the result of 
elections upon the Nebraska bill. 

The Hard State Committee met in Albany, 
and passed on the 2d of Jaimary, the following 
resolutions. Col. Sam Fowler presiding : 

" Resolved, That we fully and cordially concur 
with our National Democratic brethren in the 
Congress of the United States in the adoption of 
the following resolution : 

" ' Resolved, That the Democratic members of 
the House of Representatives, though in a tem- 
porary minority in this body, deem this an occa- 
sion to tender their follow-citizens of the whole 
Union their heartfelt congratulations on the tri- 
umph in the recent elections in several of the 
northern, eastern, and western, as well as south- 
ern States, of the principles of the Kansas- 
Nebraska bill, and the doctrines of civil and 
religious liberty which have been so violently 
assailed by a secret political order known as the 
Know Nothing party, and though in a minority, 
we hold it to be our highest duty to preserve our 
organization and continue our efforts in the 
maintenance and defence of those principles and 
the constitutional rights of every section and 
every class of citizens against their opponents of 
every description, whether the so-called Repub- 
licans, Know Nothings, or Fusionists, and to 
this end we look with confidence to the support 



74 



and apiorobation of all good and true men — 
friends of the Constitution and the TJniou 
throughout the couutrj'.' " 

" Resolved, That we as cordially approve of 
Iheir unfaltering fidelity to their nominees as 
well us to the principles they avowed ; and that 
by the uniform support of Mr. Richardson 
through the protracted and exciting canvass, 
they have won not only the approval of friends, 
but the admiration of their opponents of every 
section and hue, and afforded a bright example 
for the imitation of all who may be i:)laced in 
like positions. 

'' Resolvcih That we heartily approve of the 
firm and independent course of the Democratic 
members of the Assembly of New York, in their 
steadfast adherence to the principles and organi- 
zation of the National Democracy, and in refus- 
ing all " entangling alliances," with the isms or 
factions of the day, whatever specious pretexts 
such alliances may have been pressed upon them. 
" Resolved, That we re-affirm and re-adopt the 
])rinciples set forth in the address and resolu- 
tions of the National Democratic State Con- 
vention held at Syracuse on the 23d of August 
last, and while we strongly deprecate any and 
all coalitions with hostile organizations, we reite- 
rate the invitation to all who agree with us in 
principle to unite with us in the one only true 
aud regular Democratic organization, which is 
destined in the future, as in the past, to a long 
series of l)rilliant victories in the State and in 
the Union. 

" Resolved, That the State Committee protests 
in the name of the Democracy of New York, 
against the eligibility of Dr. J. P. Beekman to 
represent the Democracy of this State in the De- 
mocratic National Connnittee called to assemble 
at Washington on the 8th instant, on the ground 
of his notorious Freesoil or Abolition proclivi- 
ties and his opposition to the platform of prin- 
ciples recognized by the Democracy of this 
State not only, but of the whole Union ; and 
that Col. Sam Fowler, the Chairman of this 
State Committee, be instructed to communicate 
this protest to said Democratic National Com- 
mittee, together with the above resolutions. 

" Resolved, That these proceedings be publihs- 
ed in the Democratic papers of the State." 

A Soft State Convention, called to appoint a 
delegation to the Cincinnati Convention, met at 
Syracuse on the 10th January, 185G. The ob- 
ject of the Convention was to lay down such a 
platform. National in appearance, as might be 
jiroduced at Cincinnati, as proof of the ortho- 
doxy of the delegates appointed by it. 

There was very little popular movement in 
choosing delegates to this Convention. The 
matter was every where attended to by the ra- 
ther exclusive circle of the Postmasters aud 
Custom House officers. Jlere and there some of 
the old-fashioned music was, however, heard. 



The St. Lawrence Soft Convention, a majori- 
ty of whose members were Postmasters, on the 
24th January, 

" Resolved, That we are opposed to the exten- 
sion of slavery into the territories of the Union, 
and condemn all acts intended or tending to effect 
such a result ; and that the resolutions of the 
last Democratic (Soft) State Convention upon 
this subject meet with our hearty and cordial 
approval. 

" Resolved, That this Convention reconnuend 
the appointment of Arphaxad Loomis, of Her- 
kimer, as a delegate to the next Democratic Na- 
tional Convention."' 

In the Onondaga Soft Convention, a member 
offered the resolution adopted by the members 
of Congress regarding the triumph of the princi- 
ples of the Kansas-Nebraska bill, in the recent 
elections, and it was laid on the table Inj a vote oj 
ayes 22, noes 9. 

The Oswego Soft Convention is thus describ- 
ed by a correspondent of the Albany Atlas : 

" Oswego, January 7th. 
" To the editors of the Albany Atlas : — A^^e 
held our District Convention for the 2d district 
of Oswego Co.. on Saturday last. We elected 
as delegate to the Syracuse Convention, Dr. B. 
E. Bowen, of Mexico. The Convention also 
passed a resolution unanimoiisli/ in favor of Titos. 
H. Benton, of Missouri, for President, by tlie 
Cincinnati Convention. The Convention did 
not suppose that the passing of the resolution 
would make a great deal of difference with the 
Cinciimati Convention, yet still they believed 
that if that Convention would nominate Benton, 
or any other man equally as Iionest and decided, 
we could carry this district next fall by a majo- 
rity that would put at rest (at least for a time) 
all the isms aud secret associations which of lati- 
have combined to defeat the Democratic party." 

The Herkimer Soft Convention jiassed resolu- 
tions which recommend Thomas H. Benton 
as an eminently fit candidate for the Presidency, 
and heartily approve of the course pursued by 
Hon. Francis E. Spinner in Congress. 

The following is one of their resolves : 

" Resolved, That while we are in favor of the 
maintenance of all the compromises of the Con- 
stitution and the reserved rights of the Statet^, 
we declare our unqualified hostility to the exten- 
sion of slavery into any free territory of the 
United States. That the late invasion of Kan- 
sas territory l)y citizens of Missouri, with a 
view to promote the election of a jjro-slavery 
legislature, was a manifestation of insolence on 
the part of the Slavocratic Power, and an outrage 
upon the i-ights of the bona fide settlers, which de- 
serres the indignant rebuke of every honest citizen 



75 



in the laud, and demands from the general govern- 
ment, the inter])osition of all its constitutional 
power to redress past grievances and suppress 
future violence. That while we approve of the 
course pursued by Franklin Pierce in conduct- 
ing our foreign relations, and also the economy 
evinced in administering the financial affairs of 
the government, we feel constrained by a sense 
of duty to condemn him for giving his sanction 
to the Kansas-Nebraska bill, which involved the 
violation of a sacred compact and a gross breach 
of taith on the part of the south, and opened 
anew the agitation of the slavery question." 

A very large number of Federal officials 
were present at this State Convention. About 
two thirds the counties were represented by 
regular delegates, the remainder were filled uj) 
l)y Custom House officers from Xew York, 
J^uffalo, itc. The counties of Allegany, Broome, 
Cattaraugus, Chautaucjue, Cayuga, Chemung, 
Kings, Lewis, Orange, Putnam, Riclmiond, 
Rockland, Steuben, and others, may be men- 
tioned as having been provided for by such 
volunteers. . WilUnm H. Ludlow presided. The 
whole business of the Convention was done by 
committees. A committee appointed by the Chair 
named the delegates to Cincinnati, and about 
one third the members of the State Convention 
were appointed on this delegation. 

Ni'cholas Hill, Jr., reported a long address 
taking National grounds on the slavery ques- 
tion. This gentleman having been a Buffalo 
platformer in 1848, and a candidate on the Soft 
ticket, running on the " Corner Stone" platform, 
in 1855, was considered a proper person to 
make the recantation and submission, in view of 
the end lo lie accomplished in 185G. William 
Taylor, of Onondaga, a member of the com- 
mittee which reported the address, announced, 
that although he could not approve, indivi- 
dually, of the Kansas bill, he yielded his 
opinions, in view of this end- — the end being, 
of course, the laying down of a platform " for 
the Cincinnati market." Mr. Yan Dyck, of 
the Atlas, opposed and voted against the ad- 
dress, which was, however, adopted. A series 
of resolutions, strongly National in character, 
was adopted by a similar vote, and the Con- 
vention adjourned. 

The following are the Soft delegates : 

Deleg;ates at Large : 

Horatio Seymom*, Nicholas Hill, Jr., 
Dean Richmond, Robert Kelly. 



IstDist. 


2d 


do. 


3d 


do. 


4th 


do. 


5th 


do. 


Gth 


do. 


Tth 


do. 


8th 


do. 


!)th 


do. 


10th 


do. 


11th 


do. 


12th 


do. 


13th 


do. 


14th 


do. 


15th 


do. 


IGth 


do. 


17 th 


do. 


18th 


do. 


I'Jth 


do. 


20th 


do. 


21st 


do. 


22d 


do. 


23d 


do. 


24th 


do. 


2 5 til 


do. 


26 th 


do. 


27 th 


do. 


28th 


do. 


29 th 


do. 


30th 


do. 


31st 


do. 


32d 


do. 



33d do. 



District Delcgntcf^ ■■ 

— Wm. H. Ludlow, Henry F. Jones. 

— Samuel E. Johnson, Thomas G. 
Talmage. 

— Thomas Burns, Albert Smith. 

— John Kelly, George H. Purser. 

— Stephen H. Feeks, Wilson Small. 

• — Isaac Y. Fowler, John Cochrane. 

— AVilliam D. Kennedy, Wm. J. Peck. 

— Lorenzo B. Shepard, Daniel F. 
Tiemann. 

— James Conner, Azor B. Crane. 

—John C. Holley, David A. Fowler. 

— T. R. Westbrook, Danforth K. 
Obey. 

— John P. Beekman, Gilbert Dean. 

— William A. Beach, Charles L. Mc- 
Arthur. 

— John Y. L. Pruyn, John McKnight. 

— Isaac Bishop, Josiah 31. Todd. 

— Timothy Hoyle, Augustus C. Hand. 

— John L. Russell, Wm. C. Crain. 

—John C. Wright, Elias Brown. 

— Robert Parker, Samuel M. Shaw. 

— John Stryker, Francis Kernan. 

— Horatio Ballard, Horatio G. Prindlc. 

— Sands A. Kenyou, Sidney T. Fair- 
child. 

-De Witt C. West, Charles Smith. 

— Dennis McCarthy, Seth Hutchinson. 

— EUmore P. Ross, Calvin Foster. 

—William C. Dryer, C. Sentell. 

— John J. Taylor, Henry D. Barto. 

— William C. Rhodes, James Faulkner. 

— S. B. Jewett, James C. Campbell. 

—Henry J. Glowacki, L. P. Weth- 
erby. 

— William Yandervoort, A. Tousley. 

— Israel T. Hatch, James M. Hum- 
phrey. 

— Samuel S. Jenks, Niram Sackett. 



The Union of the Albany Argus with the 
Atlas (Soft with Frcesoil) took place in Feb- 
ruary, and Mr. Cassidy, to Avhose skill, ability, 
and pertinacity much of the original disunion 
on the slavery question was due, became the 
editor of the consolidated concern, along with 
Mr. Comstock. 

The resolutions and address of the Soft State 
Convention of the 10th January of course 
brought about an instant rebellion in the ranks. 
Nine tenths of the Softs who were not in office 



76 



repudiated them. Steps were immediately taken 
by the non-official- Softs who agreed with Mr. 
Van Dyck to form a separate organization, and 
re-avow their Freesoil views ; and- a circular 
for this purpose, sent through the State, and 
authorized by the names of leading men of the 
Soft party, soon after came tp light. The men 
engaged in the movement of secession embraced 
the very back-bone of the Soft party. They 
denounced the office-holding Soft delegation, 
and resolved to remonstrate against the recogni- 
tion of these, their Old associates, at Cincinnati. 

Another portion of the malcontent Softs, ob- 
jecting not so much to the new platform as to 
the men who constitute the Seymour delegation, 
undertook to get up a new Soft delegation, to 
be chosen by districts. What success they have 
met with is unascertained at the time of going 
to press with this pamphlet. 

The Young Mens' Democratic National 
(Hard) Club of New York, celebrated the 8th 
January by a grand dinner at the Metropolitan, 
at which Elijah Ward presided, asssisted by 
C. Godfrey Gunther and Charles D. Mead as 
Vice-Presidents. The following were the toasts 
and responses : I. ■' The day, and all who honor 
it." 11. "The memory of Andrew Jackson," 
(in silence.) III. "The Constitution of the 
United States;" responded to by Joseph R. 
Flanders. IV. " The National Democrjv:y ;" 
responded to by William Preston Johnson, of 
Kentucky. V. " The doctrine of non-interven- 
tion, the Kansas bill, &c. ;" responded to by 
Henry M. Hyde. VI. " Civil and Eeligious 
Liberty;" responded to by James T. Brady. 
VII. " The National Democratic Convention at 
Cincinnati ;" responded to by Horace F. Clark. 
Vni. " The National delegation elected to go 
to Cincinnati ;" responded to by Acgitstus 
ScHELL. IX. " Manifest destiny ;" responded 
to by Hiram Walbridge. X. " The press ;" 
responded to by John J. Hofimau. Among 
the volunteer toasts were—" Daniel S. Dickin- 
son — a statesman of tried integrity, and a man 
into whose hands may safely be committed the 
destinies of this great republic." " The union 
of the Democracy : it can be accomplished by 
the return to the fold of those who are outside 
the true organization." "The first encroach- 
ment on the rights of Native Americans — the 
landing of foreigners on this continent in the 16th 
century ;" &c. Many volunteer speeches were 
made, and the celebration was the feature of the 



day. It was a most enthusiastic and harmonious 
demonstration, and the sentiments enunciated by 
the several speakers were of the soundest Na- 
tional and Democratic character. The Softs 
also had a celebration at Tammany. At the 
latter place, Elijah F. Purdy, Alexander Ming, 
Isaiah Rynders, Conrad Swackhamer, Joseph 
Rose, H. N. Carr, and D. O'Keefe, spoke in re- 
ply to the toasts ; and a ball came ofl'. 

The town elections this winter and spring de- 
monstrated a singular state of things in the in- 
terior of the State. The Soft party seemed 
no where to stand alone : it " fused," in the 
large majority of cases, with the Black " Re- 
publican" candidates, in bthers with the Know 
Nothings. The most indifferent spectator could 
not fail to perceive that in the Hard organiza- 
tion only, could the " National" men be found. 
As a 'specimen of the language maintained by 
the Hards the following resolutions may be 
quoted : 

At a meeting of the Hard Democratic City 
Committee of Rochester, held on the 26th Feb., 
the following resolutions were adopted : 

" Resolved, That we approve of the principle 
of the Kansas-Nebraska bill, and are opposed 
to the establishment of any geographical line 
dividing the north from the south. 

" Resolved, That the liberal principles im- 
bodied by J efiferson in the Declaration of Inde- 
pendence, and sanctioned in the Constitution, 
which make ours the land of liberty, and the 
asylum of the oppressed of every nation, have 
ever been cardinal principles of the Democratic 
faith ; and no citizen should be deprived of 
"political rights on account of his religion or 
birthplace. 

" Resolved, That no candidate for State or 
National office should be nominated or support- 
ed whose opinions do not conform to the spirit 
of these resolutions." 

At the January meeting of the Hard Demo- 
cratic City General Committee of New York, 
the following were adopted : 

"Resolved, That the National Hard Shell 
Democratic party of this State have every 
reason to congratulate themselves upon the 
proud position they hold and have held toward 
other parties and factions ; adopting from the 
first, the true and conservative platform of the 
National Democracy of the Union, we have 
firmly and consistently adhered to the same, re- 
fusing all coalitions, or entangling and disre- 
l^table alliance with others ; and it is gratifying 
to know that our course, our policy, and our 
principles are now approved by every true 



7t 



Democrat in the Union, nobly imitated by the 
Democratic members of Congress at Washing- 
ton in their firm and unfaltering fidelity to their 
nominee as well as to the principles avowed ; 
and for their uniform and unyielding support of 
Mr. Richardson as Speaker, they have now the 
approval and admiration of the Democratic 
party of the Union. 

" Resolved, That in the language of our State 
Committee, we heartily approve of the firm 
and independent course of the Democratic mem- 
bers of the Assembly of New York in their 
steadfast adherence to the principles and organi- 
zation of the National Democracy, and in re- 
fusing all •' entangling alliances," with the isms 
or factions of the day, under whatever specious 
pretexts such alliances may have been pressed 
upon them. 

•' Resolved, That we re-afiSrra and re-adopt the 
principles set forth in the address and resolu- 
tions of the National Democratic State Con- 
vention held at Syracuse on the 23d of August 
last ; and while we strongly deprecate any and all 
coalitions with hostile organizations, we reite- 
rate the invitation to all who agree with us in 
principle to unite with us in the one only true 
and regular Democratic organization, which is 
destined in the future, as in the past, to a long 
aeries of brilliant victories in the State and in 
the Union. 

"Resolved, That we re-adopt, in all their length 
and breadth, the principles of the Kansas-Ne- 
braska bill, and re-affirm our attachment thereto, 
and deem it the corner stone of the Democratic 
creed. 

" Resolved, That the people have at all times 
the right to change their form of government ; 
that they alone should be the judges of the 
necessity for such a change ; that a government 
of fact should be tnken and deemed a government 
of right ; and it is the duty as well as the true 
policy of the government of the United States 
to acknowledge (as heretofore has been done) all 
such existing governments, and not pause to in- 
quire into the reasons for such change. 

" Resolved, That the Reoublic of Nicaragua 
should not be au exception lo our long established 
and invariable rule ; that we know that the mon- 
archical party of that State has been overthrown 
and a republican form of government established 
in its stead, and we are bound by every principle 
of duty and patriotism not only to encourage but 
to acknowledge the same, nnd we urgently call 
upon our rulers at Washi.. .ton to recognize and 
extend to it the right hand' of fellowship. 

" Resolved, That the arrogant and impertinent 
acts of the agents of the government of Great 
Britain, in secretly enlisting American citizens 
to engage in war against a people with whom 
we are and ever have been at peace, deserve 
and should receive the most severe and prompt 
condemnation of tlie government and people ef 
the United States ; and the instant dismissal of 
all such agents is the slightest rebuke that ought 
to be administered to the British government 



for such gross departure from the true comity ot 
nations. 

"' Resolved, That the tone and tenor of the Pre- 
sidenfs Message toward the government of 
Great Britain, in reference to the Central Amer- 
ican question, meets with our hearty and warm 
approval ; and while wc would deprecate war, 
and deplore the necessity of taking up arms 
even for the protection of our rights and inter- 
ests, yet it is a thousand times preferable to 
seeing those rights trampled upon, or the preten- 
sions of an arrogant and treacherous govern- 
ment succeed in her unwarranted claims to 
States and territory on this continent ; and it be- 
comes the duty, as it will be the pleasure of every 
American to support their own government in 
the determination to resist every such preten- 
sion, emanate whence or from whom it may." 

The members of the Hard Delegation met at 
Syracuse on the 29th April, for the purpose of 
organization. Sam Fowler, Chairman of the 
State Committee, called to order, and George 
W. Clintox, of Buffalo, was appointed Chair- 
man of the meeting, and Gideon J. Tucker, of 
New York, and Harmon S. Cutting, of Erie, 
Secretaries. On motion of Samuel G. Hatha- 
way, the following resolutions were adopted 
unanimously : 

'■ Resolved, That this delegation cordially af- 
firms, ratifies, and adopts the resolutions adopted 
at the National Democratic State Convention 
held at SyTacuse the 23d day of August, 1855, 

as follows : 

• 

[Here follow the resolutions at length of the 
State Convention, as given on pages 67, 68.] ■ 

•• Resolved, That the signature of each mem- 
ber of the delegation be hereto affixed." 

These resolutions having been engrossed and 
prepared for signature, were signed by every de- 
legate and alternate present, and were ordered 
sent for signatures to such as Avere not present. 
It being the pm-pose to lay before the Cincin- 
nati Convention these resolutions, signed by 
every Hard delegate and alternate who will pre- 
sent himself at that Convention for admission. 

An Executive Committee was appointed as 
follows : 

Sam Fowlek, of Orange. 
Elisua B. Smith, of Chenango. 
Elijah Ward, of New York. 
Henry W. Rogers, of Buflalo. 
Gideon J. Tucker, of New York. 

The meeting then proceeded to choose per- 
manent officers for the delegation, to act for it 



78 



at its meetings in Cincinnati . and the following 
were unanimously elected : 

Chairman — Samuf.l Beardsley, delegate at 
large. 

Vicc-Chairmcn — Geokge W. Clinton, dele- 
gate at large, and Thomas B. Mitchell, dele- 
gate from the Eighteenth Congress district. 

Secretaries — John H. Reynolds, delegate 
from the Fourteenth Congress district, and 



Thomas M. Howell, delegate from the Twenty- 
sixth Congress district. 

Gen. K. Ward then moved to adjourn to meet 
at the Burnett House in the city of Cincinnati, 
on the Saturday preceding the first Monday of 
June next, at 12 o'clock, noon, in the rooms 
engaged I'or the delegation by the State Com- 
mittee ; which was agreed to, and tlie meeting 
then adjourned. 



ERRATA. 



Pnfje 23— Second Column— Line 27, for " better," read " latter."' 

Page 24 — Secoml Column — Line 3, for '■ Legislature," read '• legislative." 

Page 29 — First Column— Line 3S, iov.'- Mr. Be(J<inan,'''resi(\ " Jlr. Beekmati." 

Tagc 32 — Second Column^Line "25, for " 1S54,"' read " 1S52." 

I\ago .33 — Fir.st Column — Sixth and seventh line from bottom, for " Sh>t.\kii,"' read ^' Shepurd.' 

Same page — Second Colutnn — Line 10 from bottom, for •' J. T. Hatch, read " /. T. Hatch.'" 

Pago GO — First Column — Liue S from bottom, for " Mr. OK'cmor" read " Mr. O'Conok." 



I N D F. X AND CONTENTS 



fag*. 



CHAPTER I. From April 1843— to ]\Iarch, 1845, 

Democratic States Convention in 1843. The Delegation to the Baltimore Conven- 
tion.— Proceedingri of the Baltimore Convention. Dissatisfaction of the Barn- 
burners. The Democratic State Convention in 1844. The Secret Circular. 

The Presidential Struggle decided by New York. The (.Congressional Elec- 
tions. The Legislature of 1845. Election of United States Senators. Dick- 
inson and Dix separate on the Texas Question.— Election of State Officers. — '- 
Appointment of M'arcy to the Cabinet. 

CHAPTER II. From ^Nlarch, 1844— to November, 1840, ■ 

Appointments to Federal and State Offices. Triumph of Barnburners in Legislative 

Elections. The State Printing. ^^Vilmot Proviso Resolutions iu flio Legis- 
lature. Constitutional Convention. Re-nomination of Silas Wright. 



CHAPTER in. From Noveml^er, 184G— to November, 1847, 7 

Defeat of Silas Wright and Re-election of Gardiner. — -Congressional and Legislative 

Results. Wilmot Proviso Resolutions iu the Legislature. Opposition of the 

Hunkers to them.- Democratic State Convention of May, 1847. Struggle for 

the September State Convention. Triumph of the Hunkers and Tabling of the 

Wilmot Proviso.- Secession of the Barnl>urners. Mass Convention at Herkimer. 

CHAPTER IV. From November, 1847--to January, 1849. 9 

Defeat of the Democrats. Mr. Dickinson's Slavery Platform. — —State Convention 

at Albany, called by the Hunker State Committee. Nomination of an Electoral 

Ticket. State Convention at Utica, called by a Barnburner and Soft Caucus. 

Appointment of Freesoil Delegates. Election of Hunker Delegates by Districts. 

Procedings of the Baltimore Convention.- Both Hunkers and Freesoilers Admitted. 

The Latter Bolt the Candidates. Mass Meeting of Freesoilers iu New York, 

The Utica Convention of June. Letter of IMartin A^an Buren. HLs 

Nomination for President. — —The Hunker Delegates Recommend Cass and Butler. 
Tlie Buffalo Convention, Platform, and Candidates. Hunker State Conven- 
tion at Syracuse. Freesoil State Convention at Utica. Result of the Election. 

CHAPTER V. From January, 1849— to January, 1850, 15 

Movements towards Uniting the National and Freesoil Democrats. The Rome Union 

Conventions. The Softs in a Majority in the Hunker Convention. Mr. Dickin- 
son Outvoted. The Freesoil Convention Not Satisfied with the Concessions. 

The Hunker State Convention and its Ticket. The Softs Propose a Coalition to 

the Freesoilers. The Freesoil Convention Accepts the Proposition. Avowals of 

John Tan Buren. The New York Hards Repudiate the " Union."— The Re- 
sult of the Election. 



80 

CHAPTER VI. From January, 1850— to January, 1822, 19 

The Hards and Softs on the Compromise Measures. State Convention of 1850. 

Mr. O'Conoe's Resolutions construed by the Softs so as to Ignore the Fugitive Law. 

The Elections of 1850. The Soft "Personal Liberty" Bill. Mr. Dickinson 

leaves the U. S. Senate. The Canal Bill. The State Convention of 1851. 

CoL. Fowler's Resolution Tabled by the Soft Majority. Tlie Jerry Rescue.- — 

The Elections of 1851. 

CHAPTER VII. From January, 1852— to March, 1853, 32 

The Hard and Soft Presidential Delegates. The Baltimore Convention. Demo- 
cratic State Convention of 1852. Defeat of Hard Congressmen by the Softs. 

Intrigue for a Cabinet Place. The LTnfortunate Selection of Mr. Marcy. 

CHAPTER VIH. From March, 1853— to January, 1854, 40 

Reasons for Marcy's Appointment to the Cabinet. Federal Appointments in New 

York The Impeachment of John C.^Mather. The Passage of D. B. Taylor's 

Resolutions on the Inaugural. " Stampede of the Buffaloes." Scene at the 

Adjournment of the Legislature. The Syracuse Convention broken up by 

" Short-Boys." Acquittal of Mather. Removal of Bronson, and Resignation 

of O'CoNOR. Redfleld Confirmed by the Senate. Election of 1853. The 

Albany Argus begins the Nebraska Discussion. 

CHAPTER IX. From January, 1854 — to January, 1855, 50 

The Hards and Softs on the Kansas-Nebraska Bill. Opinions of Newspapers, Meet- 

ino"s. Conventions, and Public Men. Passage of the Bill. Rejoicings of the 

Hards, and Denunciation of the Softs. Hard State Convention. Nomination of 

Bronson and Ford. Passage of Nebraska Resolutions. Soft State Conven- 
tion. The "Inexpedient and Unnecessary" Soft platform. — —Hard and Soft 

Congress Nominations The New York Evening Post in Receipt of Patronage 

——Result of the Election. Recrimination among the Softs. 

CHAPTER X. -From January, 185.5— TO April, 1856, GZ 

The Hard State Committee's Resolutions. The Hard State Convention, its Platform 

and Candidates. The Hard Delegates to Cincinnati. The Soft State Conven- 
tion. The Wilmot Proviso " Corner Stone" Re-adopted. Result of the Election. 

Organization of the Legislature. Soft Meetings and Resolutions. Soft State 

Convention, to choose Contesting Delegates. Bolt of the Softs- The Spirit of 

the Hards. 



NEW YORK 



HARDS AND SOFTS: 



'Which is the True Democracy? 



BRIEF STATEMENT OF FACTS 



THE CONSIDERATION OF THE DEMOCRACY OF THE UNION, 



SHOWING THE OKIGIN AND CAUSE OF THE CONTINTJED 



DIVISION OF THE PARTY. 



BY A NATIONAL D E M O C K A T . 



^ lit to gork: 



rillNI^ED AT THE DAILY NEWS JOB OFFICE. 

NO. 102 NAPSAU-STREET, CORNER OF ANN STRECT. 



APRIL— 1856, 



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